Patna,(BiharTimes): A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bihar government and Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Sunday to elevate the century old Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU) at Pusa in Samastipur into a central university.Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi were present on at a function organised in Patna.

Speaking on the occasion the Union minister said a full-fledged central agricultural university was a long pending demand of Bihar and it would prove to be a blessing for the people in general and farmers in particular. This new institute would bring prosperity to small and poor farmers.Radha Mohan Singh said he would ask ICAR officials to speed up the work to establish the university.

According to him the agricultural productivity of Bihar was highest in pre-Independence era. The central university would help the state regain its lost glory. The Union government has already approved a proposal to provide Rs 400 crore under the 12th Five Year Plan towards this purpose.He also appreciated the work done by the state government in this regard.

Chief minister Manjhi, while thanking the Centre and Union agriculture minister, said that as farming was becoming costlier scientists need to take measures in this direction. The focus, according to him, should be on agricultural research to help take the load of food requirements of the state. He also called for checking environment pollution and gave stress on the need for the use of bio-fertilisers.

Stating that it was a historic day the chief minister announced that the Bihar government would provide land for the Central University as well as National Dairy Research Institute too. State’s agriculture minister Narendra Singh, a known Manjhi loyalist, praised the efforts of Radha Mohan Singh in bringing about central agriculture university in Bihar.