OTHER DEPARTMENTS

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT

Organisation.-The agricultural activities in the district come under the dual control of the State Government as also of the Zilla Parishad. The department in the State sector is headed by the Secretary, Agriculture and Co-operation Department, Bombay at the Secretariat level and by the Director of Agriculture with headquarters at Poona at the Directorate level. The department at the district level is headed by the Agricultural Development Officer of the Zilla Parishad who has to seek guidance in administrative matters from the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad and in technical matters from the Director of Agriculture. The animal husbandry activities in the district are looked after by the District Animal Husbandry Officer who works under the supervision of the Agricultural Development Officer of the Zilla Parishad. Under the State sector, these activities are controlled by a separate Directorate.

The Superintending Agricultural Officer, Nagpur Division, Nagpur, is the representative of the Director of Agriculture at regional level and is also the technical and administrative head of the division. The Superintending Agricultural Officer also gives technical guidance and advise to Zilla Parishad in implementing the agricultural schemes under the local sector. The Superintending Agricultural Officer is assisted by class I officers like Deputy Director of Agriculture (I. C.)/(R & E)/and (Eng./ and SC) and class II officers like Plant Protection Officer, Seed Development Officer, Assistant Horticultural Development Officer, Assistant Vegetables Development Officer, Hybrid Seed Production Officer. Assistant Oilseeds Extension Officer, Assistant Cotton Development Officer, Assistant Statistician, Divisional Supervisor (F. V. T.) and Agricultural Engineers in implementing the State sector schemes at regional or divisional level and fives technical guidance to local sector schemes at Zilla Parishad level. In addition to the above, the State level specialists, who are specialised in different crops, also give technical guidance for State and local sector schemes.

The Agricultural Development Officer, Zilla Parishad, Buldhana, implements the agricultural schemes in the local sector. He is assisted by the District Agricultural Officer, the Campaign Officer and the Hybrid Seed Production Officer who is deputed by State Government for supervision and implementing hybrid seed production programme.

Under the State Sector Schemes a Sugarcane Research Station has been established at Sindkhed Raja. Free demonstration of fertilizers is also undertaken. Taluka seeds farms have also been established. Under the Hybrid Seed Production programme, the seed of jowar was produced on 1,756 acres, of bajri on 65 acres and of maize on 13 acres during 1967-68. During 1967-68 an amount of Rs. 1,02,613 was distributed by way of subsidy for the construction of new wells and an amount of Rs. 3,32,518 was dis-tributed towards the purchase of integrated pumping sets. Dur-ing the same period contour bunding was undertaken over an area of 51.128 acres at the cost of Rs. 29,28,198. A few of the State Sector Schemes in the district are managed by the Zilla Parishad on agency basis.

Besides the schemes in the State sector, among the schemes implemented by the Zilla Parishad, may be mentioned, Plant Protection Scheme, Intensive Cultivation Scheme, Horticultural Development Scheme, scheme for reclamation of waste lands belonging to backward classes, scheme for the construction of wells for irrigation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, schemes for the construction of prefabricated bandharas and for mass training of farmers.

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