Chief Secretary reviews progress on establishment of KKGs across J&K, KKG Software/Portal

SRINAGAR, JULY 21: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting at Civil Secretariat here to review progress on establishment of Kisan Khidmat Ghars (KKGs) across Jammu and Kashmir as well as development of KKG Software cum portal being developed by Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo informatics (BISAG), Agriculture Production department (APD) and SKUAST.

The meeting, among others, was attended by Principal Secretary APD, Principal Secretary Finance Department, Vice Chancellors of SKUAST-J and SKUAST-K, Mission Director HADP, Secretary Rural Development And Panchayati Raj, Director Horticulture Jammu/Kashmir, Director Agriculture Jammu/Kashmir, Director Sericulture, Deputy Commissioners of all districts and other concerned officers.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary took progress report from each Deputy Commissioner regarding establishment of KKG in their respective districts. He directed them to establish all the required IT infrastructure at the designated sites at the earliest so that these centres can be made functional before the launch of KKG Software cum portal.

The Chief Secretary called upon all DCs to notify the list of Krishi Udhyamis well in time so that the KKGs can be made functional by the designated time of first week of August.

Dulloo highlighted that the Kisan Khidmat Ghars, envisioned as farmer service centers, aim to revolutionize agricultural support mechanisms by providing a range of essential services under one roof. He added that these centers are poised to become pivotal hubs offering farmers access to agricultural inputs, information on modern farming techniques, market linkages and government schemes.

The Chief Secretary underlined that establishment of KKGs is an innovative and remarkable step particularly for the farming community, who will have one stop solution for all of their grievances and issues in these centres. He remarked that KKG initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to empower farmers, enhance agricultural productivity and improve rural livelihoods in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that KKGs will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between farmers and essential services, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural practices and economic growth in the region.

Highlighting this as a niche project under HADP scheme, the Chief Secretary called upon all the Deputy Commissioners to work tirelessly towards successful rollout of these centers for the benefit of every farmer in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary was informed by the BISAG team about the progress achieved regarding the roll out of KKG Software cum portal across Jammu and Kashmir. They informed that this system would have innate characteristics of farmer registration, sale of agricultural inputs, scheme on boarding mechanism, advisories, skilling, expert consultation, digital marketing, decision support and developing of smart phone applications.

Besides, the Deputy Commissioners also apprised the Chief Secretary of the progress achieved in their respective districts about establishment of KKGs.