Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has approved the Scheduled Cast Sub Component Plan (SCSP) scheme to the Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) for the livelihood and socio-economic improvement of the Scheduled Caste community after the lockdown in the State.
ICAR will provide Rs 4 crore to the University to run this scheme in the State. After approval, the proposal for this scheme was submitted by the Directorate of Agricultural Education Extension under the University. University's Director of Extension Education Dr RS Kuril informed that Scheduled Caste Livelihood Improvement and Socio-Economic Improvement Programme will be run in 16 Districts through all 16 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) operated in the State under the Scheduled Castes' SCSP, he added.
"This program will be conducted in following Districts-Bokaro, Giridih, Jamtara, Latehar, Lohardaga, Palamu, Sahebganj, Saraikela- Kharsawan, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, Simdega, Chatra, Dhanbad, Dumka, Garhwa and Pakur in the State. Each KVK will be given financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the implementation of this scheme with total costing of Rs four crores. Goat rearing, piggery and poultry farming programs will be run with an amount of 15 lakhs. Under this, the amount will be spent in input support services including goat, sugar, and chickens. The remaining amount of Rs 10 lakhs will be spent in construction, exposure visits, on-farm demonstration trials and front-line demonstration trials," said Kuril.
The Extension Education Director said that this will help in speeding up livelihood and socio-economic improvement of poor farmers of scheduled caste communities of thees Districts.
Director of Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Patna, Dr Anjani Kumar Singh informed about the approval of the scheme, courtesy of ICAR, a unit of Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. He has said that the department will provide funds to the university by May 15 for the operation of the scheme in the year 2020-21.
Therefore, Programme Coordinators and Senior Scientists, Head of all KVKs are hereby advised to make advance arrangement for identification of beneficiaries in identified two villages of two blocks means 4 villages in each District on the similar pattern followed by the University in implementation of Bee Keeping (Meethi Kranti) earlier under TSP programme.