Working Group Report on - Haryana Kisan Ayog

Strengthening Extension SystemThe need to reorient the entire DoF from desk oriented bureaucracy to developmentand service / extension oriented agency remains one of the critical issue as well as achallenge. The challenge is to create an institutional mechanism to provide servicesat the village / farm level through a combination of DoF staff, network of farmeragents / matsyamitras and NGOs. Fish farmers shall be organized into farmergroups, SHGs or aqua clubs for promoting Best Management Practices and thepossibility / need for having a separate wing for Extension within DoF. Efforts will bemade for developing / integrating specialized web based mobile advisory servicesfor fish farmers (kisansanchar) jointly by NGOs, DoF, KVKs and CIFE/ICARinstitutions for effective technology transfer and helping create a farmers networkand enabling regular two way effective communication between farmingcommunity and development agencies / research organizations.Strengthening field oriented extension and service delivery with farmers asextension agents (matsyamitras) shall be a thrust area. Such successful programshave been implemented in States like Assam, Jharkhand and Bihar.Strengthening institutional linkages and coordination between Research &Development / Extension System through Institutional mechanisms at District andState levels is one of the weakest in State and needs to be rectified and strengthened.Research & EducationFor strengthening research and education in the State, the need of the hour isestablishment of College of Fisheries under the newly established HaryanaVeterinary & Animal Sciences University. As of now there is neither a Faculty ofFisheries nor a Dept. of Fisheries in the University though a few people are workingon fisheries. Neighbouring Punjab provides an example wherein 4 Faculty fromDepartment of Zoology were shifted to Livestock Production ManagementDepartment under the Veterinary University in 2002 Later on Fisheries Unit wasestablished in 2007 leading to full-fledged College of Fisheries with 10 faculty(sanctioned positions are 14) offering BFSc/MFSc programs from 2008 onwardswith Rs. 3 crores as budgetary support. This would go a long way in development offisheries in the state.( 40 )