To sensitize the farmers as well as the general public about the main features of the newly launched PM-KUSUM scheme, one-day publicity cum awareness camp was organized by Jammu & Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) at District Administrative Complex Shopian.The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shopian, Sachin Kumar Vashiya, launched the publicity cum awareness programme for installation of solar power agriculture pumps under “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM) Yojana” in the District. ADDC, CPO, CAO, CHO, AD Planning besides other concerned district and sectoral officers also attended the programme.Among the others, DDC Members, BDC Chairpersons, Sarpanches, panches and farmers were present during the programme.The scheme shall be implemented in J&K by the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA), Department of Science & Technology.On the occasion, the participants were sensitized about the benefits of the scheme in reducing the production cost of the crops and facilitating increase in the income of farmers.
In his address, the DC said that Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy and irrigation is the backbone of Agriculture and the scheme like PM-KUSUM has been launched solely with an aim to raise the income of the farmers, they should come forward to avail the benefits of under this scheme.He asked the public representatives to identify the eligible beneficiaries in their respective jurisdictions so that they can be provided necessary benefits under the scheme.The DC emphasized that with the installation of solar pumps the dependence of farmers on electricity, petrol and diesel would come down considerably and benefit them economically. He said that initially 5000 solar plants have been sanctioned in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.He also appealed to the farmers to come forward and take advantage of the scheme so that the objective of the scheme is fulfilled and appealed to the concerned officers to make concerted efforts to achieve the target of doubling the farmer’s income by 2022.Later, during the technical session, various queries related to the scheme were put forth by the PRIs and the technical team of the JAKEDA responded to every raised query effectively.