Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting of the Union Territory Level Screening Committee for the implementation of National Bee-Keeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) across Jammu and Kashmir here at Civil Secretariat.
The meeting was attended by managing Director J&K Agro Industries Development Corporation Ltd, Director Agriculture Jammu/Kashmir, Secretary KVIC, Representatives of Forest, Ecology & Environment, Tribal Affairs Department, ICAR, Joint Director Agriculture & Mushroom Jammu/Kashmir and other concerned attended the meeting in person and through virtual mode.
Director Agriculture Kashmir, Mohammad Iqbal Chowdhary, who is also Member Secretary-cum- Nodal Officer NBHM, gave a detailed presentation about the Mission and its status in J&K.
He informed that meeting that the mission was announced as part of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat scheme and NBHM aims for the overall promotion & development of scientific beekeeping in the country to achieve the goal of ‘Sweet Revolution’ which is being implemented through National Bee Board (NBB).
He talked about the objectives, mission structure—National, UT and Implementing agencies’ level—Mission Strategy with Mini Missions of stage I, II and III. The meeting held a threadbare discussion over procedure for preparation and implementation of action plan.
The meeting was told that NBHM would be implemented through National Bee Board (NBB) as a Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Central Government) and the Board Unit, DAC&FW, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare will communicate the tentative outlay for the year to National Bee Board (NBB).
While discussing Mission Support and Assistance, the meeting was informed that For North Eastern Region & Himalayas States, 90 percent for all individuals, institutions/ organizations/ societies/Co-operatives/ SHGs/ FIGs/ FPOs, etc and 100% for Government agencies/ organizations.
It was also given out that the main objective of NBHM is to promote holistic growth of beekeeping industry for income & employment generation for farm and non-farm households, to enhance agriculture/ horticulture production, developing infrastructural facilities, including setting up of Integrated Beekeeping Development Centre (IBDC)s/CoE, honey testing labs, bee disease diagnostic labs, custom hiring centres, Api-therapy centres, nucleus stock, bee breeders, etc.
The committee on the occasion, cleared several proposals both in public and private sector, besides workshops and training programmes worth Rs 18.76 crore under NBHM in Jammu and Kashmir UT.
Speaking on the occasion, Dulloo impressed upon the concerned to focus more on implementation of the Mission in the UT and all the activities of the mission should be defined to achieve desired results in time bound manner.
He added that Bee-keeping has a vast potential besides sustainability in both the regions of the UT and is a viable sector which has a maximum chances of employability.