The Director Agriculture Kashmir (Controller Insecticides), Chowdhary Mohammad Iqbal today reviewed the functioning of the enforcement/plant protection wing of the Department.
Addressing the meeting, the Director reiterated the Department's commitment to ensure the availability of quality agriculture inputs (seed, pesticide, fertilizers etc) to the farming community. He said the Department’s drive against substandard pesticides and fertilizers will continue and any one found guilty of violating the Insecticide Act-1968 would be dealt with as per law.
Director passed instructions to the concerned officers to constitute district-wise internal vigilance teams for monitoring the stock, supply and distribution of quality agriculture inputs. He said a multi level monitoring mechanism is needed to check irregularities, if any and to ensure that the consumers’ interests are served at all levels in an effective manner.
Iqbal while reviewing the functioning of the plant protection wing asked the concerned divisional officers to increase the awareness among educated youth regarding the online application process for obtaining the Licence of Pesticides, Seeds and Fertilizers. He said the process should be simplified and based on the single window clearance concept.
Plant Protection Officer was directed to clear the pending cases of issue of license (as per set guidelines) in a speedy manner.
Director marked the fact that agriculture is a very large sector and therefore it has a big role viz a viz employment generation. He asked the officers to put in extra efforts to constitute multi dimensional models of agriculture development so that more and more educated youth could be attracted towards this sector.
The meeting was attended by Joint Director Agriculture Extension, Joint Director Farms, Joint Director Apiculture and Mushrooms, Joint Director Agriculture Inputs, Deputy Director Law Enforcement Kashmir and other senior officers of the Department.
Earlier, Director Agriculture visited the hi-tech poly houses (grow-out section) of Seed Quality Control Laboratory at Lalmandi. He visited some subordinate offices also where he interacted with the officers/officials.