Financial Commissioner, Agriculture Production Department, Pramod Jain, today chaired a meeting of the State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) for Sub Missions on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM) and Seeds and Planting material (SMSP) respectively under National Mission on Agriculture Extension and Technology (NMAET).During the meeting approval was accorded to the State Action Plan under the two Sub-Missions for an amount of Rs 15.01crore and Rs 3.56 crore respectively for their implementation during the year 2016-17.The Financial Commissioner advised the participating officers to speed up the execution of approved work programme after completing all required procedures. Strict instructions were issued for adhering to guidelines to ensure quality parameters at all levels. Special emphasis was laid on close monitoring and supervision by the respective Directorates and technical support by the SKUAST-Jammu, SKUAST-Kashmir and the CITH.Earlier, Director Agriculture Jammu, who is also the State Mission Director of the NMAET said that the Government of India has released the Central Share amounting to Rs 2 crore and the State Share of Rs 35.67 lakh under SMAM for implementation during 2016-17.
The Sub-Mission on Seed and Planting Material comprises the assistance to the farmers through activities under the Seed Village Programme (SVP), National Seed Reserve (NSR), Creation of infrastructure facilities and Strengthening of Seed Quality Control, Transport Subsidy. The Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanization envisages financial assistance to farmers for procurement of Farm machinery on subsidized rates to facilitate work efficiency, reduce drudgery, enhance productivity and improve timeliness of field operations. It was given out that the Central Share of Rs 2.34 crore have been released, so far, by the Union Government under Seed Village Programme of SMSP and the State Share of Rs 99.34 lakhs. Under the National Seed Reserve (NSR) a provision of 4562 qtls of seed has been kept which is to be maintained in the Seed Bank for Kharif 2016 and Rabi 2016-17 to meet any contingent eventualities due to adverse climate conditions.Two seed Testing Laboratories of Jammu and Kashmir Divisions and One Seed Processing Plant of Jammu Division are envisaged for strengthening during the year 2016-17 and Action Plan of Rs 1.87crore under the Sub-Mission. Similarly provision has been kept for movement of 104000 qtls of seed within the State for the year 2016-17 from Divisional seed Stores to the distant locations in respective districts.Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Agriculture Jammu, Associate Director Research SKUAST-K, Dy Director Horticulture Jammu, Dy Director, Planning, Horticulture, Dy Director (M & E), Dy Director (Central) Jammu, I/C CSS, Agriculture Jammu and Assistant Director Planning APD attended the meeting.