Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture departments, Navin Kumar Choudhary today chaired a meeting to review the progress made under CAPEX, PMDP, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and other relevant components in Atmanirbhar Bharat in Agriculture and Horticulture sectors across Jammu and Kashmir.The meeting was attended by Director Horticulture, Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, Director Agriculture, Kashmir, Syed Aijaz Altaf Andrabi, MD JKHPMC, Shafat Sultan, DG Budget, MY Itoo and other concerned officials while as Director Horticulture, Jammu, Ram Sevak, Chief Horticulture Officers of all districts and other officers participated in the meeting through video conferencing.Navin Choudhary discussed activity wise capital expenditure of horticulture and agriculture sector under these schemes in Jammu and Kashmir. He laid stress on realization of targets and spending the resources strictly under the budgetary provisions.The meeting also discussed several innovative ways which can be adopted for enhancing the productivity of crops in J&K besides developing other infrastructure to obtain progressive information related to these sectors.The Principal Secretary called upon the concerned officers to adopt scientific methods for collecting data and assessing the production of crops and their qualities.He directed the officers to prepare ATLAS at UT, provincial and district levels highlighting the potential of horticulture sector in J&K besides other achievements and advancements made by the sector.
The meeting also discussed physical targets achieved in different components under PMDP action plan like High Density, Plantation Infrastructure Development, protected cultivation, C.A. stores, vermi compost units, establishment of marketing infrastructure and others.Navin Choudhary impressed upon the officers to devise farmer friendly schemes besides exploring the possibilities of giving subsidy to farmers on packaging materials. He asked for promotion of use of community borewells in Karewa areas so as to reduce the shortage of water during summer.The meeting also discussed the progress of establishment of centers of excellence one each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions.The Principal Secretary was informed that the Centre has been established in Kashmir while as the process for setting up the centre at Jammu is going on.He directed for formation of an Empowered Committee which will be headed by the Vice Chancellor SKUAST, Jammu and the Committee will monitor the progress and activity of the Centre at Jammu.Pertinently these Centers of Excellence will have facilities for production of high quality fruit plants, micro irrigation, high-tech greenhouse technology, Tissue culture labs, bio-control labs and weather forecasting units. These Centers will also showcase and disseminate innovative technologies for preserving germ-plasm and multiplication of improved and high yielding varieties of crops.