| After 2 years of launch, implementation of GOBAR-Dhan scheme reinitiated in JK | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 24: After lapse of nearly two years since its failure to formally start the implementation of GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) Dhan scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, the administration has reinitiated the process to implement it.
The failure in the last two years since the constitution of a committee to implement the scheme could signals towards the fate the new committee, if concrete efforts would not be made.
The General Administration Department (GAD) vide its order 1163-JK(GAD)of 2020 dated 24/10/2020 constituted a UT level committee as well as District level committees for the implementation of GOBAR-Dhan Scheme 2020-21 in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, according to sources, around two years back had initiated the process for the implementation of same scheme but in the last two years there found no significant progress on the scheme. Two years back on 10/8/2018 the GAD vide its order number 1319-GAD of 2018 had given nod to constitute a State Level Advisory Committee (STAC) District Water and Sanitation Committee (DWSC)/District Swatchhta Committee (DSC) and Block Level Committee (BLC) for implementation of GOBAR-DHAN scheme under Swachh Bharat Mission “Gramin”.
During the time the Committee was headed by Secretary Rural Development while Director Rural Sanitation had been appointed the member secretary of the committee. Officers from Animal Husbandry department, Sheep, Agriculture and Pollution Control Board were made members of the committee.
Now this time the administration has again accorded the sanction for the formation of Committees at two levels, one at UT level and District GOBAR-DHAN Cell(s).
The UT level committee is headed by Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department as Chairman, Financial Commissioner Finance Department as Member, Principal Secretary to government Agriculture Production Department and Farmers Welfare Department, Principal Secretary to Government Animal/Sheep Husbandry Department as members, while Secretary Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj as Member Secretary.
The District GOBAR-DHAN cells comprised of District Development Commissioner/District Collector as Chairman, Additional District Development Commissioner as member, Assistant Commissioner (Development) as Member Secretary, District Panchayat Officer, Chief Agriculture Officer, Chief Animal Husbandry officer, Executive Engineer REW as Members.
The department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj would be the nodal department and Director Rural Sanitation would be the Nodal officer to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of GOBAR-DHAN 2020-21 Scheme in UT.
Pertinently, Gobar Dhan scheme was first announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley during his budget speech on February 1st 2018. According to FM, the scheme was intended to focus on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and bio-CNG but the scheme remained non-starter in JK.
The GOBAR-DHAN scheme, with its focus on keeping villages clean, increasing the income of rural households, and generation of energy from cattle waste, is an important element of Open Defecation Free (ODF) plus strategy. The scheme envisaged the implementation of bio-gas units in different states of the country. |
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