Srinagar, August 13: Chief Secretary, Atal Dullu, today directed the Agriculture Production Department (APD) to replace Kisan Khilmamat Ghar (KKG) in lively multipurpose centers in villages, put them in position as “equipment of change” for the agricultural community in Jammu and Kashmir.
Presiding over a high-level meeting held to review the functioning of KKGS in the districts, the Chief Secretary described the initiative as a “unprecedented program”, with the ability to promote farmer awareness and promote the best agricultural practices, to accelerate agricultural development, rapidly accelerates agricultural development, and promote best agricultural practices. He emphasized that every farm family should have at least one member registered with KKG. He highlighted the unique role of these centers in timely advice, customized guidance and awareness on modern, scientific agricultural techniques.
To increase their utility, the Chief Secretary directed to integrate additional services in KKG, which includes recognition as general service centers (CSCs) to deliver various government services online, acting as a custom hiring center for farm machinery and working as direct sales agents (DSAS) for banks to facilitate financial access.
The Chief Secretary also asked the MD, Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HATP), so that a comprehensive list of agricultural-related business undertakings can be prepared which can be set up in these centers, Krishi Udayamis (KUS). He asked the deputy commissioners to motivate the stories of success from the existing centers to motivate replication by others.
Reviewing the status of the KKGS installed under Phase I and II, he sought an update from each Deputy Commissioner on his operational readiness, including the availability of IT infrastructure such as desktops, printers and broadband availability, as well as licenses for the sale of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides by eligible Kus.
Principal Secretary, APD, Shailendra Kumar, directed the deputy commissioners to set a tough time limit for the operation of the newly established centers, given that Couses were already engaged. He asked for the provision of active public outreach for adopting the IT equipment, point of sale (POS) machines required to promote farmer registration and service uptake.
MD, Hap, Sandeep Kumar informed the meeting that under Phase I, 500 KKGS has been operated in J&K supported by a dedicated mobile application. About 5 lakh farmers have registered 1.25 lakh apps on KKG platform with 96% on Android devices. Rajouri district goes into farmer registration with more than 84,000 users.
The KKG app now provides advanced features, including a decision-support system for cherry and apple producers, complaints ticket management and advice for advice. There is also a Gamification-based registration system, with 23% registered farmers level 2 registrations.
Under Phase II, 297 new centers are set to launch in Jammu Division and 287 in Kashmir Division, expanding the outreach and impact of the program.
The Chief Secretary underlined that the success of the KKG initiative reflects the cooperative efforts of the administration and the agricultural community, which aims to strengthen the agricultural sector through technology-operated, peasant-centric solutions. By offering integrated services, knowledge dissemination and commercial opportunities, KKGs in Jammu and Kashmir are ready to play a transformative role in improving livelihood.