early times report
Jammu, Nov 3: Sh. Sandeep Kumar, IFS, Mission Director HADP/JKCIP today chaired a comprehensive review meeting to assess the progress of HADP implementation across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was held at the Conference Hall, Directorate of Agriculture, Krishi Bhawan, Jammu. During the meeting, the Mission Director reviewed the physical and financial achievements under various HADP projects implemented in both public and private sectors.
The meeting was attended in person by Sh. Anil Gupta, Director Agriculture Jammu; Sh. Gul Sayed, Director Horticulture Jammu; Sh. Vikas Anand, Director Horticulture Kashmir; and Smt. Priyanka Parihar, Deputy Director Agriculture (Planning) Jammu, along with Technical Officers HADP (Agriculture and Horticulture) Jammu, technical staff of Mission Directorate HADP, representatives, and Principal Investigators from SKUAST-Jammu. Director Agriculture Kashmir, Mr. Sartaj Ahmad Shah; Chief Agriculture Officers and Chief Horticulture Officers of all districts of Jammu and Kashmir; Technical Officers HADP Kashmir; representatives and Principal Investigators from SKUAST-Kashmir; and other officers from Kashmir attended the meeting through video conferencing (VC).
During the deliberations, Sh. Sandeep Kumar emphasized the need to achieve 100 percent expenditure targets by the end of the current month to ensure timely implementation of project activities. While reviewing the progress under the Promotion of Nutri-Cereals (Millets) component, he directed that millet mills be established in those areas where millet cultivation is expanding and where beneficiaries have an actual need.
He also took a detailed review of the Kisan Sathi Portal activities and instructed that all pending approvals be cleared immediately. He further directed that inactive applications be systematically removed, and genuine beneficiaries in need of support be registered promptly. The Mission Director also stressed the importance of regular photo documentation with GPS coordinates to be shared with the Mission Directorate for real-time monitoring.
Highlighting the importance of GI tagging of indigenous millet varieties, he urged SKUAST to expedite the process. SKUAST-Jammu informed that work is already underway on seven such millet varieties. The Mission Director also emphasized the development and sharing of Packages of Practices (PoP) and technology transfer by SKUAST Jammu and SKUAST Kashmir with their respective Directorates for wider farmer adoption.
Sh. Sandeep Kumar further underscored the need to establish canning units under HADP to enhance the shelf life of agriculture and horticulture produce, thereby increasing farmers income. He also highlighted the significance of exposure visits of farmers at the national level, enabling them to learn about new technologies and innovative practices. He directed that consolidated reports of such exposure visits be submitted to the Mission Directorate in a timely manner.
The Mission Director laid special emphasis on strengthening Research and Development (R&D) efforts to ensure the availability of improved seed varieties, which would enhance yield and productivity across the UT. |
