After the massive success of GRAM 2016 (Global Rajathan Agritech Meet), the state agriculture department has set out to bring on-paper agreements to ground. During the 3-day mega agricultural event, Rajasthan government had signed 38 MoUs worth 4400.89 crores. Netherland, Israel, Canada and Australia were partner countries that promised to deliver their superior agricultural technologies through these MoUs. These agreements covered key sectors in agriculture, irrigation, agro-marketing, agro-tourism, fisheries and animal husbandry. The objective was to offer 27,379 indirect and 19,293 direct employment opportunities in Rural Rajasthan.
Now, it’s time to deliver those promises. The state agriculture department will shortly impart training to government officers on industrial setup. This move is important for effective implementation of MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) at GRAM 2016.
List of Key MoUs Signed at GRAM 2016
- Agricultural Procedures: Rs. 40.4 crores (indirect investment) and Rs. 1,654.01 crores (direct investment),
- Agricultural Marketing: Rs. 200 crores (indirect investment) and Rs. 1732.9 (direct investment),
- Animal Husbandry: Rs. 302 (indirect investment) and Rs. 272.5 crores (direct investment).
- Horticulture: Rs. 538.48 crores.
Lack of Proper Knowledge and Experience could Affect Officers’ Performances
Agricultural officers, having insufficient knowledge and experience about latest technologies, faced issues in their execution at industrial level. A senior officer reported this problem to the government.
“Though our officers are well-versed with the know-how of agricultural activities but they aren’t knowledgeable about industries. Agricultural technologies are changing every day with new processing units coming up on a frequent basis. The officers need to acquire functional knowledge of industries to be able to set up new units“, he said.
To eliminate such challenges, government has introduced rigorous training modules for the officers. They’ll familiarize them with rules and regulations of setting up industries in rural areas. The BIP (Bureau of Investment Promotion) will impart this training to department officers.
Understanding the gravity of situation, Rajasthan government had assigned one officer for each agreement signed during GRAM 2016. Now, the authorities will prepare individual departments to ensure successful execution of the schemes. This is a more disciplined and concrete approach to this problem. Raje government is positive that it’ll implement most of the schemes in their last 2 years of tenure.
