SRINAGAR : Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production and Farmer’s Welfare Department, Navin K Choudhary, today finalized Plan for development of Agriculture, allied and rural sectors.
The plan was finalized in consultation with NABARD for its submission to the Government of India in a meeting at Civil Secretariat here today.
Chief General Manager, NABARD, Director General (Budget), Director, Horticulture Kashmir/Jammu, Director Horticulture P&M, J&K, Director, Agriculture Production and Farmer’s Welfare, Kashmir/ Jammu, Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Kashmir/ Jammu, Director, Sheep Husbandry Department, Kashmir/ Jammu, Director, Command Area Development, Kashmir/ Jammu, Director, Fisheries Department, J&K, Director Finance, Agriculture Production & Farmer’s Welfare, Managing Director, J&KHPMC Limited, Managing Director, Agro Industries Development Corporation J&K, Joint Director (Resources), Finance Department and Deputy Director (Budget), Finance Department also participated in the meeting.
Principal Secretary asked Chief General Manager, NABARD to keep a live technical portfolio of Rs 800 crore for each year for next 3 years and an ideal portfolio of Rs. 2600 crore per year for development of Agriculture and Rural sector in J&K.
Accordingly, Projects amounting Rs. 800 crore would be sanctioned and disbursed during current financial year in addition to the existing projects.
Choudhary asked Finance Department to clear all the projects in mission mode for submission to NABARD.
Giving details, Principal Secretary said that Rs. 800 crore projects would involve disbursement of Rs. 350 crore for construction of rural roads, Rs. 150 crore for irrigation and Rs. 50 crore for construction of toilet for girls in the Educational Institutions. The remaining Rs. 250 crore would be disbursed in the Agriculture and allied sectors.
It was informed in the meeting that the Detailed Project Reports for the projects amounting Rs. 800 crore would be submitted within the next two and a half months to NABARD. Further, the Detailed Project Report for the projects for rural roads amounting Rs. 350 crore will be submitted by the PW(R&B) Department while Detailed Project Report amounting Rs. 150 crore will be submitted by Jal Shakti Department and Command Area Development, Kashmir/Jammu. Under the Project, J&K HPCM will submit a Detailed Project Report for establishment of 3 C.A. Stores; one each at Sopore, Bahrampora, Handwara and Jammu. Similarly, J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation, J&K will submit two Detailed Project Reports for establishment of C.A. Stores at Agriculture Complex Talab Tiloo, Jammu and Delhi.
To upgrade marketing facilities at Fruit & Vegetable Markets, Principal Secretary asked Director Horticulture (P&M) to submit a Detailed Project Report for up gradation of existing Fruit & Vegetable Mandis. He also asked Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Kashmir to submit Project for up gradation of farms at Hariparbat and up gradation of Veterinary Hospital at Athwajan.
Director, Sheep Husbandry Department, Kashmir was asked to submit a Project proposal for a Goat Dairy Farm and upgradation of Livestock Breeding Centre in Kashmir while Director, Sheep Husbandry Department, Jammu was asked to submit a Project for Livestock Sheep Breed Centre at various locations in Jammu division.
To increase the irrigation cover and strengthen the existing irrigation system, it was decided to construct 1200 bore wells across J&K in Agriculture and Horticulture sectors. Similarly, Rs. 10 crore will be disbursed for financing the tractors across Jammu & Kashmir with a ceiling of Rs. 2.50 lakh per unit for equipping the farmers with latest farmer technologies.
Director Horticulture, Jammu was tasked to share the existing scheme for development of nurseries in private sector under MIDH with NABARD; to explore enhancement of financial support for development of Nurseries by private entrepreneurs.
Director Horticulture, Jammu and Kashmir were asked to submit Project Reports of purchasing of 10 Reefer Vans for each division.
On area expansion of Apple orchards, Choudhary, Convener, J&K State Level Bankers Committee, reviewed the credit availability and asked to explore possibility of encouraging the Credit for upgrading the existing orchard by High Density Plantation. He further asked to explore the possibility for increasing the existing moratorium period up to the two years for the credit provided for Horticulture crops. He also urged upon NABARD to explore possibility of inclusion of Kiwi under area expansion Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
Choudhary asked Director Agriculture, Jammu/Kashmir and Director Horticulture Jammu/Kashmir to facilitate the opening of rural mart development. He urged upon the J&K Bank Limited to take feedback from SKUAST Jammu/Kashmir and Horticulture Department to chalk out skill based training programme for enhancing the capacity of the beneficiary. He asked the concerned to facilitate Gl Certification of the crop list to be provided by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.
