NAHARLAGUN, Aug 24: Agriculture Minister Tage Taki advised the officers of the agriculture department to keep the state government and the policymakers “updated on the ground reality, so that policies beneficial for the farming community of the state can be devised by the government well in advance.”
The minister was addressing a meeting with the department’s officers here on Saturday to evaluate the progress and achievements under various state- and centrally-sponsored schemes across the state.
He emphasized on formulating district-specific projects to be submitted to the government “as there is limited time left to double the farmers’ income by 2022.”
Agriculture Deputy Director (Development) TD Neckom highlighted critical issues like infrastructural needs of newly-created districts, dilapidated condition of residential and non-residential buildings, manpower shortage, etc, and urged the minister and the agriculture secretary to raise these issues with the state government.
Agriculture Secretary Bidol Tayeng advised the officers to be proactive and implement the schemes on time, as per the guidelines, to accomplish the mission of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022. He also asked the department to work hard to contribute more to the national and the state GDPs through the agriculture sector.
DDOs and agriculture officers from the districts made PowerPoint presentations on the physical and financial achievements made in their districts under various schemes implemented during 2017-18 to 2018-19. They also informed the minister and the secretary about district-specific issues and constraints.
Agriculture Director Anong Lego urged the officers to complete the implementation of various schemes “as early as possible, so that additional fund can be obtained from the state and central governments.”
Earlier, the minister and the secretary along with senior officers of the department visited the state bio-control laboratory, the state seed testing laboratory, and the state soil testing laboratory at the agriculture directorate complex here.
