Dehradun: Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan on Monday reviewed the progress of Growth Centres being operated under various departments at the Secretariat and described them as an important means of strengthening the local economy. He directed all departments to connect the Growth Centres with markets, private sector participation, and modern technology.
The Chief Secretary instructed that all Growth Centres operating across the state should be reviewed regularly. He directed that well-performing centres should be provided with technical and other necessary support, while effective efforts should be made to revive non-functional Growth Centres. He also laid special emphasis on linking all products with traceability, GI tagging, and organic certification.
During the meeting, he instructed the Sheep and Wool Development Board to organise regular interactions and workshops to address the issues faced by livestock farmers. He also stressed the need to study successful models from other states and implement them in Uttarakhand.
The Chief Secretary highlighted the need to connect Growth Centres not only with market linkages but also with cold storage chains, and suggested the development of stand-alone micro storage chains. He said that this would enable products to be stored safely for longer periods and marketed at the appropriate time, ensuring better returns for producers.
He directed that a coordination meeting be organised with House of Himalayas and all concerned departments. He also instructed officials to provide handholding support to promising but currently non-operational Growth Centres and identify funding gaps to secure the required financial assistance from NABARD. In addition, he emphasised the preparation of detailed business plans for the Growth Centres operating under the Forest (JICA) Project.
The meeting was attended by Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, APCCF Naresh Kumar, Additional Secretaries Kahkashan Naseem, Anand Srivastava, Jharna Kamthan, along with senior officials from various departments.
