Srinagar: Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo Friday chaired a meeting at the civil secretariat to devise a roadmap for implementing the A-Help Programme (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) in J&K.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the meeting was attended by the Secretary of Agriculture Production Department, Representative of Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Gol, Representative of Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Rural Development, GoI, Director Sheep Husbandry Kashmir/Jammu, Special Secretary Agriculture Production Department, Managing Director JK Rural Livelihood Mission, Director Animal Husbandry Kashmir/Jammu, Director Finance Agriculture Production Department, Deputy Director Planning Agriculture Production Department, Technical Officer of Agriculture Production Department and other officers. Jammu-based officers attended the meeting through Video Conferencing.

While chairing the meeting, Atal Dullo highlighted that the dovetailing and synergizing efforts of the Department of Animal husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) & Department of Rural Development (DoRD) especially in the context of the common objective of helping the farmers will go a long way in helping the farmers double their income. He directed the concerned officers to work in a coordinated manner so that a well-defined road map is prepared for the successful implementation of A-Help in J&K.

Atal Dulloo said that the success of the A-HELP scheme will depend on how well the scheme is implemented and monitored and said, therefore, well-defined yet flexible and participatory institutional structures will be put in place at all levels.

A-HELP is being implemented across the country by using the existing cadre developed under DAY-NRLM for livestock (Pashusakhis) by providing further training and accreditation as A-HELP workers and will be inaugurated in J&K in October.