Panchayat agriculture offices in Bhagalpur soon

BHAGALPUR: To promote modern agriculture practices and finding a solution for problems related to farming, the agriculture department is set to open panchayat agriculture offices (PAOs) in Bhagalpur district.
Officials said the initiative is aimed at optimum utilization of resources with experts’ advice and government schemes for brining socio-economic changes in rural and sub-urban areas.PAOs will assist in dissemination of information about the modern farming techniques, seeds and fertilizers as well as government schemes for the farmers by decentralization of agriculture offices and information centres
Bhagalpur district agriculture officer (DAO) Krishna Kant Jha said steps are being taken for augmenting agriculture production, making the farmer aware about modern agriculture and associated farming practices and also about the various schemes of the government for the benefit of farmers and the stakeholders.
“Altogether 26 out of 242 PAOs have already been opened, while 173 government premises and 69 private buildings would be taken up on rent for opening other PAOs. About 216 PAOs will start soon,” the DAO said. The PAOs are proposed to be opened at panchayat bhawans, MGNREGA bhawan, e-agriculture bhawan and other government buildings at panchayat level. In case of non-availability of government buildings, the PAOs would be opened in private buildings or houses, which would be taken on rent for the purpose.
Sources in agriculture department said altogether 242 PAOs at the panchayats, under 16 blocks of three sub-divisions— Bhagalpur, Kahalgaon and Naugachhia—are being opened to facilitate farmers and stakeholders spread across 1,515 villages in Bhagalpur district to execute the schemes envisaged under the Agriculture Road Map of 2017-2022.