SRINAGAR: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo today held a meeting of Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to discuss the submission of proposals with Union Territory Level Apex Committee (UTLAC) on framing a comprehensive Agriculture Policy for holistic development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors in J&K.
The meeting was attended by Vice Chancellor SKUAST-J/K, Secretary in Horticulture, Secretary in APD, Director Sericulture J&K, Director Horticulture Kashmir/Jammu, Director Animal Husbandry Kashmir/Jammu, Director HP&M J&K, Director Fisheries J&K, Managing Director JKHPMC, all Technical Working Group members and other concerned.
Jammu-based officers attended the meeting via video conferencing from SKUAST-Jammu.
Recently, the J&K Government constituted an 8-member Apex Committee headed by ex-DG ICAR, Dr Mangle Rai for framing a comprehensive Agriculture Policy for the holistic development of Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
In this regard, the ACS held a deliberative session to receive inputs and suggestions from TWGs in order to submit proposals to the apex committee.
A threadbare discussion was held among the experts and scientists wherein all 25 proposals were discussed before submitting those to the committee.
A broad outline of all the said proposals were discussed in detail for framing a proposal keeping in mind both short-term and long-term goals by identifying issues, analysis-based data, and solutions also thereof.
The meeting was informed that 25 proposals are to be submitted along with the name of the project to be headed by either director of the department or any expert on the subject matter.
Dulloo informed the participants that the goal of the committee is to double the contribution of Agri-GDP in the next five years and avail the fund of Rs 900 crore reserved by the Government of India for Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, skill training to 2000 youth, tripling food processing, reducing food wastage among other priority areas.
The meeting also discussed terms of reference of the committee and it was impressed upon the TWGs to act as subject matter specialists and accordingly work in their respective working domains. The committee is expected to submit its policy recommendations within four months.
