As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahostav, Shri Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Animal husbandry and Dairying and Shri N.N. Sinha, Secretary, Department of  Rural Development signed an MoU between DAHD and MoRD for Leveraging SHG platform for rural economic growth through convergence of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), MoFAHD and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), MoRD today at Krishi Bhawan in the presence of Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Minister of State for for Rural Development and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Minister of State for Rural Development also present.

• Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is giving more employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to the farming community through different interventions and flagship programs like AHIDF (Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund), DIDF (Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund), NADCP (National Animal Disease Control Program) for FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease) and Brucellosis etc.
• Recently, the Government has approved implementation of a Special Livestock Sector Package consisting of several activities by revising and realigning various components of following existing schemes in order to have focused development of animal husbandry and dairying across the country for next 5 years starting from 2021-22.
• Department of Rural development is also working in the similar platform for rural upliftment through various programmes where more women are involved in livelihood activities, especially in the livestock sector. been working
• Therefore, Dovetailing and synergizing efforts of the DAHD and the DoRD in the context of common objective of helping the farmers and double their income through the livestock sector is the need of hour.

As per the MoU, it has also decided to use the services of the members of the SHGs as livestock resource persons and primary service provider through a new accredited model named as “A-HELP” (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production). This model will be implemented across the country by using the existing cadre developed under DAY-NRLM for livestock (Pashusakhis) by providing further training and accreditation as A-HELP worker.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) has been supporting farm livelihood sector both through backward and forward linkages. Under backward linkages, the support is being provided through cadre of pashusakhis who are being trained through structured modules as part of training and capacity building architecture and are providing services by handholding the Mahila Kisans through Pashu Pathsalas and services at the doorstep of farmers. The mission has more than 40,000 Pashusakhis in their fold. This convergence will help in increasing the outreach of DAHD schemes through these community cadres and also help in additional earning for the cadres thus supporting in enhancing their sustainability.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala highlighted that the Dovetailing and synergizing efforts of the DAHD and the DRD especially in the context of common objective of helping the farmers and double their income through the livestock sector is the need of hour.

Shri Giriraj Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj congratulated both Departments for signing of this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and wish for an effective joint synergistic work of both the Departments towards the common goal of enhancing rural prosperity and the most efficacious use of existing resources.

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MV/MG