JAMMU: Mission Director HADP/JKCIP Sandeep Kumar today chaired a review meeting in the Conference Hall, Directorate of Agriculture, Talab Tillo to assess the physical and financial progress and expenditure status under different projects of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP).
The meeting was attended by Director Agriculture Jammu, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Animal Husbandry Jammu, besides technical officers and representatives from SKUAST-Jammu. HoDs, technical officers and representatives from SKUAST-Kashmir also participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
The Mission Director emphasized the need for close coordination among the stakeholder departments and executing agencies to ensure effective implementation and timely completion of the projects under HADP. He stressed that strong inter-departmental collaboration is essential for achieving the intended outcomes of the programme.
Highlighting the growing popularity of millet-based food, he asked for promoting Millet Restaurants to enhance awareness and consumption of millets. He also directed the concerned officers to achieve the targets of Millet Mills in a time-bound manner, ensuring that these mills are established in areas where millet cultivation is already taking place or where area expansion has been undertaken.
Reviewing the beekeeping component, Sandeep Kumar took note of the issues related to unit tracking. He directed the officials to resolve the bottlenecks at the earliest to ensure smooth monitoring and implementation. The Mission Director also emphasized the importance of strengthening Seed Village and Village Seed Bank activities to enhance the availability of quality seeds at the grassroots level.
The MD conducted district-wise and project-wise review of financial expenditure and physical progress. He reviewed the expenditure status of SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir under the HADP, while directing for completion of works within the stipulated framework. He further emphasized the need to strengthen research, extension support and field-level interventions for the successful implementation of HADP initiatives across the Union Territory. He also reviewed the status of public sector activities and directed the concerned departments to ensure their timely progress.
While reviewing the Animal Husbandry sector, Sandeep Kumar stressed the need for close coordination with allied sectors, particularly under the Rainfed Area Development (RAD) component. He directed the concerned officials to ensure timely execution and effective implementation of the activities.
The meeting concluded with detailed deliberations on improving coordination, monitoring mechanisms and accelerating the pace of implementation of HADP projects across Jammu and Kashmir.