SRINAGAR: LG Sinha today chaired a high-level meeting to review performance of Agriculture Production Department and progress made in agriculture, allied sector and flagship scheme of HADP.Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Shailendra Kumar, Administrative Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (Addl. Charge), Santosh D. Vaidya, Principal Secretary, Finance Department, Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor, Baldev Prakash, MD & CEO J&K Bank, Dr. Nazir A. Ganai, Vice Chancellor SKUAST Kashmir, and other senior officers were present at the meeting at Civil Secretariat. The Lt. Governor gave the go-ahead for the establishment of 2000 Kisan Khidmat Centres, prioritising handholding, clustering, and connecting all farmers to institutional loans.He noted that timely and hassle-free lending to small and marginal farmers will be crucial to raising production. The Lt Governor emphasised the crucial role SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir played in conceptualising the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme and urged continuous assistance for the two universities in carrying out 29 projects. He also ordered that the Daksh Kisan module be expanded to colleges in order to educate aspiring company owners about the potential and prospects in agribusiness. 13 Crops are presently included in the High Density Plantation Scheme.The Lt. Governor advised the officials that the farmers needed direction and support to forge a new course and benefit from technology extension, stronger infrastructure, and improved marketing facilities. The Lt. Governor commended the administration and all parties involved for the ongoing Kisan Sampark Abhiyan, which has received a resounding response from farmers throughout UT. The Lt. Governor ordered an evaluation of the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan’s effects as well as the prospect of extending the campaign until August to guarantee that the most farmers are reached and that the HADP’s many programmes are used to their fullest potential.According to him, the 29 HADP interventions are concentrated on improving the quality, production, and efficiency of the agricultural and related sectors. “Our persistent efforts can transform subsistence farming into a viable commercial agri-economy and lessen the difficulties experienced by the farming community. We should all work together to provide efficient IT assistance for tracking the progress of the HADP project, the Lt. Governor remarked. The Lt. Governor urged the officials to form dedicated IT teams to fill the knowledge gap, expand their reach, and fortify their cross-sectoral strategy for successful implementation.The Lt. Governor gave directions on how to use Common Service Centres as learning spaces for kids and gave instructions on how to monitor every stage of the HADP by assembling a specialised IT team with the necessary technical support. Additionally, banks were given instructions to closely monitor credit disbursement. He also advocated for expanding the audience of YouTube channels, promoting mobile apps on app stores, and streamlining Daksh Kisan enabling farmers to acquire hybrid skills.The Lt. Governor also reviewed the many plans, projects, and successes of the Agriculture Production Department as well as the development of the training, orientation, onboarding, and skill-building programmes for farmers under the HADP.
