The State Government has put the agriculture single window at Angara block of Ranchi, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24 last, on fast track.
The Government has issued directions to block level officials in order to spread the net of farmer assistance modules across the State in no time.
It is learnt that every Block Agriculture Officer (BAO) has been told to look for competent agencies in order to run the single window system in their respective areas. As per the plan, 100 such centres in different blocks are to be opened in the first year i.e. 2016-17.
“RK Mission Ashram has been roped in to operate the first Agriculture Single Window of the country at Angada block inaugurated online by the Prime Minister from Jamshedpur. We are in a process to set up the system in selected blocks in every district of the State gradually,” said Manoj Kumar, Horticulture Director with Agriculture Directorate.
In the first phase, the Department is planning to take up at least two districts of all the five divisions for the one stop grievance redressal mechanism meant for the farmers. Guidelines are being prepared based on that the agencies would be selected.
Elaborating further, the official said that the single window would have experts related to as many as seven wings of farming for the help of the farmers in distress and needing immediate assistance as well as guidance for future.
“Areas such as horticulture, agriculture, fisheries, soil testing, fertilizer, dairy etc would be covered. Experts from every concerned field would be deputed at the place for helping the farmers. A mini soil testing laboratory would be made operational where anyone carrying soil with them can be tested and get the results within five minutes. Every farmer would be given soil health cards,” said Manoj Kumar.
The single windows would function permanently at block level and the farmers of the area can also besides expert advices, get farming equipments as per their need. It is expected that each junction would cost around Rs 15 lakh which would be partially reimbursed to the agency.
“We are looking for agencies, NGOs or any organisation having experience in farm advisory mechanism, possesses panel of experts and able to set up required equipments to make a lab functional with internet connectivity. Couple of days ago, I held a meeting with district level officials and directed the BAOs to expedite starting the single window system in their areas,” said Agriculture Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni.
The officials are of the view that the system can be path breaking in the field of agriculture for the States like Jharkhand where over 75 per cent population is residing in villages and dependent on farming.