Assam Chief Secretary asks agriculture department to collect photographs of successful cultivators

Guwahati: Assam Chief Secretary, Paban Kumar Borthakur has asked the agriculture department to collect photographs of successful cultivators and display them in public places and publish to encourage farmers.

A review of the activities of the Department of Agriculture and Department of Irrigation was taken by the Chief Secretary on 12th in the office of Assam Rural Infrastructure & Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society at Khanapara, Guwahati.

The activities of the World Bank financed Assam Agribusiness & Rural Transformation Project (APART) were presented by Akash Deep, State Project Director, ARIAS Society.


The presentations covered the progress of activities ranging from Chintan Shivir commitments, 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).

Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture also highlighted the support received from Assam Agriculture Commission in last around 18 months. Akash Deep said that ARIAS Society informed that APART is currently in the last (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- last mile connecting rural roads, markets, warehouses, introduction and popularization of Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties (STRVs), development and handholding of Farmer Producer Companies (125) along with related Common Service Centres (CSCs), Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), setting up of market intelligence unit, providing access to financial services to the Project beneficiaries.

It was further highlighted that the Department has taken most of the activities with substantial progress as per Ministers announcements made in last two years. Among others these include provision of combine harvesters to needy farmer groups, market assurance to the farmers, awareness creation on PMFBY, promotion of indigenous varieties of crops like joha rice, black rice, Assam lemon, bhut jolokia etc.

The Chief Secretary appreciated the low-cost innovative application of Solar powered pumping station on a floating barge made of recycled UPBC barrels with a flexibility of supplying water at various locations on demand by farmers launched in Boko-Chaygaon Division (Irrigation). Also he has appreciated the idea of providing tank at the tail end of Irrigation canals to store surplus water and practice of pisciculture there.

Chief Secretary asked to form groups at scheme level to guard against theft of Irrigation properties, to involve Agriculture Personnel in all activities to make irrigation more fruitful, to make arrangement to visit Kisan Call Centre (KCC), Common Service Centre (CSC), Custom Hiring Centre (CHC) etc. by Departmental Officers for having good exposure, to Collect photographs of successful cultivators and display in public places and/or in media to encourage farmers, to make easy access of Agriculture personnel in Departmental portal of Irrigation for better coordination.

He highlighted the need for better integration and close working between the two Departments as the Irrigation Department is largely the creator of Irrigation facilities while Agriculture Department is the user.