Jharkhand Agriculture Director Reprimands Officials Over Seed Lifting Lapses and Planning Delays

Taking a firm stance against administrative lethargy across rural development corridors, Jharkhand Director of Agriculture Vidyanand Sharma Pankaj issued a strong reprimand to district agriculture officers over significant gaps in seed procurement and underachievement of financial targets. Chaired at the State Directorate in Ranchi on Thursday, October 15, 2026, the high-level review examined both state and centrally sponsored agricultural schemes for the financial year 2026-27. The director expressed serious dissatisfaction that allocated seed quotas under the Birsa Seed Production, Distribution, and Crop Extension Scheme alongside the Self-Reliance Pulses Scheme had not achieved 100 percent upliftment from state reserves, directing immediate corrective action to secure timely supplies ahead of the critical Rabi sowing window.Streamlining Rabi Seed Procurement: Expanding Beyond PACS to Private Vendors and FPOsTo bypass bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensure farmers receive certified seeds without delay, the Directorate issued sweeping operational directives across district departments:Alternative Sourcing Channels: In addition to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Large Area Multi-Purpose Societies (LAMPS), district officers have been instructed to aggressively rope in accredited private seed suppliers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).Timely Financial Deposits: Officers were directed to enforce prompt deposition of statutory bank drafts from participating procurement agencies to eliminate supply lag times.Simplifying Scheme Guidelines: The Directorate agreed to incorporate field-level feedback from district agriculture officers into the operational framework, removing administrative friction to speed up seed deliveries directly to village panchayats.Rural Haat Infrastructure and ₹40 Lakh Division-Wise Agricultural Trade FairsThe review laid significant emphasis on expanding physical market facilities and farmer knowledge networks across the state:Haat Bazaar Infrastructure Submissions: Under the Strengthening Infrastructure and Rural Haat Bazaar Scheme, district authorities must draft technical proposals based on the pre-approved Schedule of Rates (SOR) and secure formal approvals within one week to clear the path for constructing integrated agriculture offices, training centres, testing laboratories, and modern haats.₹40 Lakh per Division for Krishi Melas: The state confirmed that divisional-level agricultural trade fairs and technology workshops will be organized across all five administrative divisions during October and November, backed by a dedicated ₹40 lakh allocation per division.Statewide Workshop Mandate: Nodal officers were ordered to immediately convene coordination sessions with district officers across all divisions to finalize dates and logistics for the state-level outreach campaign.Crop Protection Clearances and Solar Pump Targets Under Kisan Samriddhi YojanaThe review focused sharply on field-level execution of pest management, clean irrigation, and soil quality monitoring:48-Hour Deadline for Crop Protectors: Displeased by sluggish fund utilization within the Crop Protection Program, the Director gave officials a two-day deadline to clear reservation rosters for recruiting dedicated crop protection personnel and publish public hiring notices, while ordering all protective chemicals and spraying equipment to be purchased without delay via the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal.Kisan Samriddhi Solar Pumps: Revised district quotas were distributed for 2-horsepower (HP) and 5-HP solar pump installations under the Kisan Samriddhi Yojana, with strict instructions to prioritize farmers already registered on the e-KSY platform while ensuring the mandatory 10 percent beneficiary contribution is deposited prior to ground installation.Crackdown on Substandard Equipment: Following reports of poor-grade micro-irrigation equipment supplied under the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme in select districts, the department ordered full replacements within seven days and demanded pending Utilization Certificates (UCs) immediately, alongside urgent collection drives for pending soil health cards delayed by seasonal rains.