Chief Secretary reviews activities of Agriculture & Irrigation Departments in Guwahati

 GUWAHATI: A review of the activities of the Department of Agriculture and Department of Irrigation was taken by the Chief Secretary, Paban Kumar Borthakur, IAS, on Thursday in the office of the Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society at Khanapara, Guwahati.

The review started with a detailed presentation on the activities of the Department of Agriculture by Dr. Ashish Kumar Bhutani, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), Chairman, ARIAS Society, and Bhaskar Pegu, IAS, Director, Agriculture. The activities of the World Bank-financed Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART) were presented by Akash Deep, IAS, State Project Director, ARIAS Society.

The presentations covered the progress of activities ranging from Chintan Shivir commitments to new initiatives (Assam Millets Mission, Assam Fodder Mission, State Floriculture Mission, Seed Vertical, etc.), flagship schemes (PMKISAN, PM-FBY, etc.), and centrally sponsored schemes (RKVY, NFSM, NMEO-OP, NMEO-OS, RIDF, SMAM, etc.), including the schemes under the Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing (HMNEH, PMKSY, MOVCD-NER). Dr. Bhutani also highlighted the support received from the Assam Agriculture Commission in the last 18 months.

Akash Deep, IAS, SPD, and ARIAS Society informed that APART is currently in its 7th year of operation, and quite satisfactory work has happened in cluster and value chain mode in the last six years, particularly on agri-entrepreneurship development, industry associations, key agri-infrastructure—the last mile connecting rural roads, markets, and warehouses—the introduction and popularization of stress-tolerant rice varieties (STRVs), the development and handholding of farmer producer companies (125) along with related Common Service Centres (CSCs), Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), the setting up of a market intelligence unit, and providing access to financial services to the project beneficiaries.

Among others, these include the provision of combine harvesters to needy farmer groups, market assurance to the farmers, awareness creation on PMFBY, and promotion of indigenous varieties of crops like joha rice, black rice, Assam lemon, bhut jolokia, etc.

The Chief Secretary appreciated the innovative low-cost solar-powered pumping station on a floating barge made of recycled UPBC barrels with the flexibility of supplying water at various locations on demand by farmers launched in Boko-Chaygaon Division (Irrigation), stated a press release.

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