Additional Secretary, DARE and Secretary, ICAR interacted with ICAR-ZPD –II officials.
Shri R. Rajagopal, Additional Secretary, DARE and Secretary, ICAR visited ICAR-Zonal Project Directorate, Zone-II, Kolkata today (23.6.2015) and interacted with the scientists and other staff of the Directorate. After a brief introduction, Dr. A.K. Singh, Director, Zonal Project Directorate briefed the Secretary, ICAR about the functioning of the Directorate to monitor 83 KVKs spread across the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Union Territory of A&N Islands under the administrative control of different host organizations. He also explained the mechanism followed in technology absorption by the KVKs from ICAR Institutes, SAUs and other organizations to find out solutions to the problems identified at Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting, Extension Council and Research Council Meeting of SAUs and Regional Committee Meeting. In appreciating the monitoring process developed by Zonal Project Director through putting certain number of KVKs at the disposal of the scientists, Shri Rajagopal highlighted four major issues – i) carrying out frontline extension programmes by the KVKs, ii) non-percolation of MSP in eastern region for the benefit of farmers, iii) non-availability of quality seed and iv) non-satisfactory credit availability to farmers. He emphasized on the need for tilt in present psychology on the part of KVK scientists to consider the farmers as partner of their programmes rather than beneficiary. He also underlined the need to understand people’s problems through better interaction. He advised the scientists to work with open mind. He also emphasized on the neeed to put quality manpower in the KVKs, particualrly by the SAUs, as KVKs are the implementing agencies of all the policy decisions. He observed that pride and honour should be given to such implementing agencies to motivate them towards higher achievements.