Ranchi, Apr 17 (PTI) The Jharkhand Cabinet on Monday decided to accord the status of agriculture to lac cultivation in a bid to boost its production and improve the lives of the cultivators.

Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel said the move will benefit around four lakh families, especially the tribals, who are involved in lac cultivation.

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Jharkhand is the leading state in the country in lac production.

“The state contributes around 54 per cent to the country's total lac production,” Dr Abhijit Kar, director of the National Institute of Secondary Agriculture, Ranchi, told PTI.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in February 2021 had announced that his government would give lac cultivation the status of agriculture and fix its minimum support price.

As many as 20 agendas were approved by the cabinet.

The Cabinet also gave its approval to frame guidelines for Jharkhand State Medical Council.

Dadel said that Council is there but the guideline has not been drafted.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)