NAHARLAGUN : The Department of Agriculture on Tuesday conducted its annual Chintan Baithak-cum-Review Meeting at Krishi Bhawan here under the chairmanship of Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Gabriel D Wangsu, with a strong focus on administrative reforms, programme implementation and improved fund utilisation.
The 12-hour review meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretary Samuel Changkija, Director of Agriculture Toggul Perme Pertin, Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB) Chief Executive Officer Tadak Dabi, joint directors, deputy directors, District Agriculture Officers from all 27 districts and other senior officials.
Reviewing the performance of flagship programmes and district-level initiatives, Wangsu stressed greater accountability, administrative efficiency and outcome-oriented governance. He urged officials to ensure full utilisation of allocated funds while maintaining transparency, quality execution and measurable outcomes.
Commending the department’s improved financial performance, the minister noted that fund utilisation had reached nearly 62 per cent, a significant improvement over previous years when utilisation remained below 50 per cent.
The functioning of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the state also came under review. Representatives highlighted various administrative and operational challenges, to which the minister assured government support and reiterated its commitment to resolving pending issues.
The future of the State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) at Pasighat was another major agenda item. Discussions focused on strengthening the institution and protecting its land assets. Following concerns over alleged encroachment, Wangsu called for strict legal action against encroachers, while the Agriculture Secretary directed officials to prepare a comprehensive master plan for safeguarding and optimally utilising the institute’s land.
The meeting also reviewed the progress of the Krishi-Himveer Mission, a collaborative initiative involving the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Officials emphasised greater participation of farmers, Self-Help Groups and Farmer Producer Organisations under the programme.
Expressing concern over the rapid increase in Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), Wangsu directed APAMB to conduct annual audits and grading of FPCs to assess their performance, sustainability and effectiveness.
Organic farming and certification systems were also discussed, with officials exploring the expansion of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification framework for crops intended for domestic markets. APAMB further proposed engaging NABARD-supported agencies for project preparation and monitoring of value-addition initiatives.
Highlighting the growing importance of digital agriculture, Wangsu underscored the role of AgriStack, including Farmer IDs, crop surveys and farm mapping, in future agricultural governance and service delivery.
“All future benefits and schemes will increasingly depend on authentic digital farm data,” he said, adding that pilot farm mapping has already been completed in six districts and will be expanded across the state over the current and next year.
The minister appealed to farmers, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Gaon Burahs and community leaders to support the initiative to ensure wider access to government schemes and services.
During the meeting, Wangsu also launched the online portal for the Atmanirbhar Yojana aimed at streamlining service delivery, improving beneficiary outreach and strengthening digital governance in the agriculture sector.
District Agriculture Officers presented reports on the implementation status, achievements, challenges and success stories under various Central and State-sponsored schemes.
Concluding the marathon deliberations, Wangsu described agriculture as the backbone of the state’s rural economy and called upon officials, particularly from underperforming districts, to rededicate themselves to the welfare of farmers and the development of the sector.
