Deputy Chief minister, Dr Nirmal Singh today stressed for a better co- ordination among different department associated with the agriculture for increasing the productivity of the farmers and ensuring better marketing facilities to them as well.The deputy chief minister was addressing officers during a meeting convened by the State Advisory Board for farmers to discuss wheat procurement at MSP during Rabi 2017-2018 and review of irrigation system in Jammu Division for Kharief, 2018.Vice Chairman, JK State Advisory Board for Development of Kissans, Daljeet Singh Chib, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Hemant Kumar Sharma, Members of Kissan Advisory board, Director Agriculture, Jammu, Chief Engineer, PDD and senior officers of different departments were also present.Deputy Chief minister while directing the officers of the PDD to make available the power needed for irrigation purposes asked for exploring the possibility of providing free power to them as well. He said that we have to provide every possible assistance to the farming community so that they do not face any in convenience and their produce also gets a boost, which would result in economic upliftment of the community as envisaged by the prime minister.
Dr Singh directed the Divisional commissioner to ensure co –ordination of the irrigation and Flood control department and Rural development department for undertaking proper desilting of the minor canals and also explore the possibility of participatory approach for Irrigation management of the minor canals in Jammu division.Deputy Chief Minister also directed the director agriculture to undertake a study of the impact as well as cost benefit of Prime Ministers Fasal Bima Yojna and make it more farming community centric and beneficial. He also directed the officers to ensure the ban on burning of the let over stubble after harvesting is strictly enforced, so that the incidents of crop burning can be checked and alos called for putting in place temporary fire stations in these areas, which are vulnerable to crop loss due to fire outbreak.Dr Singh also directed for opening of new mandies for Rajouri and Udhampur districts, so that the farming community of these districts also gets benefitted and they get the requisite facilities of marketing and selling their produce. He also called for strengthening the existing ones as well.