Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Wednesday reviewed plans for the implementation of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across Jammu and Kashmir and discussed the institutional framework for rolling out the initiative in collaboration with stakeholders from the Manthan platform of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), Government of India.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including the Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretaries of FCS&CA, GAD, Education and Science & Technology; Secretary Rural Development Department; Director General Rural Sanitation; and other stakeholders.
According to officials, the proposed initiative aims to bring science, technology and innovation closer to rural communities while promoting entrepreneurship, skill development, livelihood generation, local value addition and improved service delivery.
During the meeting, Dulloo called for organising a day-long workshop involving government departments, universities, technology institutions and grassroots organisations to develop a comprehensive roadmap for implementing the programme in Jammu and Kashmir.
He stressed the importance of building local capacity to ensure long-term sustainability of the initiative and to facilitate the adoption of technologies suited to local requirements.
The Chief Secretary directed the Science and Technology Department to serve as the nodal department for the programme and coordinate with the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser and other stakeholders on technology identification, institutional partnerships, capacity building and implementation support.
Officials said discussions also focused on sectors with potential for technology-based interventions, including hydropower, agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, hospitality, education, geriatric care and drug-abuse rehabilitation.
Dulloo emphasised the need to integrate the proposed network of Smart Village Centres with existing initiatives such as Mission YUVA and the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) to utilise existing grassroots institutions, training systems and entrepreneurship support mechanisms.
He said convergence with Mission YUVA could help link technology adoption with youth entrepreneurship and employment generation, while integration with JKRLM could extend the benefits of technology to self-help groups and rural livelihood enterprises.
Officials said the proposed RuTAGe Smart Village Centres are envisaged as technology-enabled hubs aimed at connecting rural communities with appropriate innovations and improving livelihoods, productivity and service delivery across Jammu and Kashmir.
