In a significant step to bolster Jammu & Kashmir’s agriculture and rural development, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah co-chaired a high-level review meeting today at the Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.
The meeting saw the participation of Union Minister of State for A&FW Ram Nath Thakur, J&K Minister for Agriculture Production, RDD & PR Javid Ahmed Dar, and Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani. Key officials from both the Government of India and the Jammu & Kashmir administration, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Secretary DA&FW, GoI Devesh Chaturvedi, and Secretary DARE, GoI Mangi Lal Jat, were also present.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reiterated the Government of India’s unwavering commitment, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, to the holistic development of Jammu & Kashmir. He emphasized that “For Viksit Bharat, a Viksit Jammu & Kashmir is essential,” and extended his full support to CM Omar Abdullah and his team. Chouhan also commended the J&K Government for its achievements in agriculture and allied sectors, noting the positive momentum at the grassroots level.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed his sincere gratitude to the Union Minister for his swift response and visit. He highlighted the importance of face-to-face engagement for quicker resolution of issues, stating, “This meeting itself is a testimony to how much can be achieved through dialogue and collaboration.”
During the meeting, comprehensive presentations were delivered by Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar, and Secretary, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Aijaz Asad. They detailed the implementation status and achievements of various centrally sponsored schemes, including PM-Kisan, RKVY, and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, as well as rural infrastructure initiatives under MGNREGA, PMAY-G, NRLM, and PMAY. Success stories from field-level beneficiaries and the use of digital governance tools for real-time monitoring were also showcased.
The meeting served as a platform to review sectoral achievements, address bottlenecks, and formulate action plans to accelerate progress in both the agriculture and rural development sectors.
