SRINAGR, AUGUST 07: Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam Tuesday chaired a meeting of the State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) for overseeing the implementation of National Livestock Mission (NLM).
Dr O.P Chaudhary, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, GoI participated in the meeting.
Principal Secretary, Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Principal Secretary, Planning Development & Monitoring, Commissioner/Secretary Forest, Ecology & Environment, Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, SKUAST, Jammu, Dean Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, SKUAST Kashmir and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.
While enunciating the importance of the livestock sector in the lives of people including the Nomadic population of the State, Chief Secretary called for giving focussed attention to this sector for better productivity and returns.
Principal Secretary, Animal & Sheep Husbandry while presenting a glimpse of the production statistics informed that Milk production in the State has reached 2526 Thousand MTs, Mutton 350 Lakh Kgs, Poultry 629 Lakh Kgs, Wool 82 Lakh Kgs and Fish 20.70 Thousand MTs. He said that the livestock sector has witnessed gradual improvement in terms of quantity and quality, however, fodder development requires sustained focus to address the shortfall.
The Committee after detailed deliberations approved the project proposals of the Animal and Sheep Husbandry department for the year 2018-19, to the tune of Rs 35.21 Crore. The proposals include livestock development, breed improvement, intervention towards productivity enhancement, fodder and feed development, skill development, technology transfer & extension and risk management.
Under livestock development, focus will be on development of poultry project & hatchery at Udhampur, strengthening of poultry projects at Hariparbath, Mattan, Acchabal and Zakura and strengthening of Government sheep farms in Kashmir and Jammu regions.
To address shortfall of fodder, focus will be on development of government owned fallow lands, fodder seed production, procurement and distribution, development of fodder stations and bringing forest land under fodder development.
Meanwhile Subrahmanyam also reviewed the progress of Comprehensive Flood Management Plan of Jhelum Phase-I and formulation of detailed project report for Phase-II. The project is part of the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP).
Secretary, PHE, I&FC presented an overview about the progress achieved in the implementation of the Phase-I of the project costing Rs 399.29 Crore and the measures both short and long term being undertaken for flood mitigation. He assured that all works under Phae-I shall be completed by March, 2019.
He said department has installed five automatic Water Level Recorders and Rain Gauges on River Jhelum and its tributaries. He said that the dead line for submission of DPR for Phase-II has been fixed by of September, 2018, formulation of which has been entrusted to M/S WAPCOS Ltd.
Secretary, PHE, I&FC, further informed that the capacity of River Jhelum will increase from 40000 to 60000 cusecs at Sangam after implementation of DPR-Phase I and II. He said that as part of the long term measures, construction of flood storage dams, construction of Dogripora additional flood spill channel, catchment treatments, dredging of water bodies, construction of flood protection works on River Jhelum and its tributaries, widening of outfall channel by 40 m and extension of flood spill channel up to the wetland of Hokersar, Nowgam and Wullar Lake is being planned under the Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP).
Chief Secretary stressed on timely submission of Utilization Certificate (UCs) to ensure seamless fund flow to the ongoing works. Steps were also finalized to give push to the completion of pending works and provision of budgetary support in respect of the works which have already been executed.
