While the state has set desirable targets in the livestock sector, many objectives set for completion in the last financial year are still unmet due to the lethargic approach of different departments.
The measures initiated to boost state livestock, poultry and fisheries production to create sufficient stock for markets included completion of the fish market at Narwal in Jammu, organise a ram/buck show, enhance poultry production and launch an innovative poultry productivity project in the last financial year.
However, none of the above objectives have been achieved in the set timeline though some of the heads of different departments promise that their respective projects will rollout within a few days.
“The fish market at Narwal is at its final stage. I had visited it a couple of days back. We will go for a trial run within a couple of days and soon, the market will be thrown open,” said Rajnath Pandita, Director, Fisheries, Jammu.
However, at Narwal Mandi, 2 km from here, the department has started the work to build the infrastructure but fish stalls or sellers are nowhere to be seen.
Similar is the situation in the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department where a sum of Rs 3 lakh was given as an advance under the Centrally sponsored National Livestock Mission to hold a ram/buck show before the end of the last financial year.
“Though the formalities have been completed on paper, no such show was held anywhere on ground,” said a source in the department.
The department Director, Sanjeev Kumar, did not respond to calls.
Sources in the departments said either the projects were lying untouched or were being executed at a very slow pace.
Livestock projects in limbo, courtesy official apathy
