JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting of the Agriculture Production Department to review the implementation of different sub-projects taken up under the flagship Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) in J&K.
The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, APD, Principal Secretary, Finance, VC SKUAST J/K, MD, JK Bank, MD, HADP, Deputy Commissioners, and HoDs in APD besides other concerned officers while outstation officers participated online.
The Chief Secretary impressed upon the concerned to focus on the establishment of units under different sub-projects of this programme. He maintained that the programme is target-oriented with milestones to achieve at different intervals. He maintained that the productivity of this programme would be gauged by the activity-wise outcomes registered in different districts having a direct bearing on its potential to generate employment in the UT.
He sensitized the district administration about the need for a periodical review of the targets so that the concerned sectoral officers chase them purposefully. He also directed the Mission Director to personally examine the performance of each officer for course correction down the line.
Dulloo also enquired from the DCs about the progress achieved under this ambitious programme in their respective districts. He asked them to give priority to the areas depicting poor performance. He also reviewed project-wise applications received and approved by districts besides units established in each along with the position of funds received and utilized.
Earlier in the meeting, Principal Secretary, APD, Shailendra Kumar, gave an introduction about the overall progress of this programme. He highlighted the steps being taken up by the department to achieve the annual targets set under this 5-year programme.
It was given out that full disbursal of subsidy amount in favour of around 11,000 units had been done till date under this mission. It was added that the number of courses would be increased to 161 shortly under the Daksh Kisan educational portal.
Moreover, nearly 4000 events had been organised under Kisan Sampark Abhiyan 3.0 with a total attendance of more than 1,85,000 farmers covering around 92% panchayats, as informed in the meeting.
Regarding the approvals given by the district-level committees, the meeting was apprised that its rate hovers at around 74%. It also discussed the performance and establishment of Kisan Khidmat Ghars and Krishi Udhyamis in different districts. A portal demonstrating their performance on a real-time basis is under creation through BISAG-N to bring efficiency in the functioning of both, the meeting was told.
The sub-projects discussed in the meeting included Farm mechanisation and automation, development of fodder resources, Development of Seed & Seed Multiplication chain, promotion of Niche Crops, promotion of vegetable/exotic vegetables under open and protected cultivation, strengthening of agriculture marketing, Medicinal and Aromatic plants, beekeeping, promotion of Sericulture, promotion of Millets and nutri-cereals, self-sufficiency in mutton production and promotion of year-round mushroom cultivation among others. The plan included a total of twenty-nine projects and the interventions made under HADP are going to create employment opportunities for over 2.8 lakh youth with the establishment of around 19,000 enterprises.
Moreover, 2.5 lakh persons shall be skilled in various agri-enterprises ranging from seed production, precision farming of vegetables, bee-rearing, cocoon production, mushroom farming, integrated and organic agriculture, high-density fruit farming to processing, dairying, sheep and poultry farming as well as fodder production.
