Navin Choudhary chairs SLEC Meeting of MIDH

JAMMU : Principal Secretary, Horticulture, Agriculture Production and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Navin Kumar Choudhary today chaired the State Level Executive Committee (SLEC) meeting of Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture here.

Navin Choudhary held detailed discussions over the action taken report on the decisions taken in the last SLEC meeting.

At the outset of the meeting, Director General Horticulture Kashmir, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat gave a detailed presentation wherein the chair was informed about the working and achievements recorded under the Mission in the UT of J&K.

The meeting was informed that the Government of India approved the action plan for an amount of Rs 51.99 crore under MIDH of Annual Plan for the year 2021-22.

Speaking on the occasion, Navin Choudhary called upon the officers to make the utilization of earmarked funds judiciously within given time lines.

During the meeting, Navin Choudhary, who is chairman of SLEC, was informed about the distribution of major activities of approved action plan among the line departments including nurseries, area expansion, rejuvenation, creation of water resources, protected cultivation, promotion of INM, beekeeping etc.

SLEC also accorded approval to several projects linked to activities like establishment of CA store units, Food Processing Units of private entrepreneurs under MIDH.

The meeting also discussed the approval of the projects received from entrepreneurs/corporations for assistance under MIDH and it was given out that five projects have been approved by the EMC of MIDH held on November 16, 2021 at New Delhi in its 20th meeting.

Besides, the meeting also deliberated about the projects which are pending with the GoI for want of sanction or approval, to which the Principal Secretary directed the officers to provide a last deadline by or before 31st December 2021 to clear deficiencies, pointed out by the GoI, in their documents.

Also, the meeting decided to withdraw the projects which are lying with the GoI for the last six years for want of deficient documents.

Meanwhile, two projects regarding establishment of a CA cold store of JKHPMC were also approved subject to fulfillment of all required documentation as per guidelines of MIDH.

The meeting also considered and recommended several DPRs of CA store projects during the meeting and approved establishment of two Center of Excellences, one each at Kashmir and Jammu.

The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary, Horticulture, Director General Horticulture Kashmir, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Agriculture Jammu, Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Floriculture Jammu and Director Research SKUAST-J, Director Floriculture Kashmir and Director Agriculture Kashmir participated in the meeting in person and through virtual mode.

In a separate meeting, the Principal Secretary also reviewed the status of works under MIDH and CAPEX Budget.

He took the review of high-density plantations in Kashmir and Jammu divisions, establishment of CA Stores and Parwaz Scheme among others.