DC Poonch hands over Micro ATMs, Biometric Devices to Krishi Udyamis to boost digital financial Inclusion

POONCH, OCTOBER 29: Under the aegis of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) project “Innovative Approaches under Agriculture Extension”, the District Development Commissioner (DDC) Poonch Ashok Kumar Sharma today gave away Micro ATMs and Biometric devices to CSC Krishi Udyamis (KUs) to promote Digital Financial Inclusion and enhance the outreach of agricultural and allied services in the far-flung areas of the district.
Speaking on the occasion, the DDC encouraged the Krishi Udyamis to expand their activities by including other agriculture and allied sector services to better cater to the rural population. He emphasized that the initiative will empower KUs to provide doorstep digital financial services, including Aadhaar-enabled payments, fund transfers, and other online government services, thus bringing ease and transparency to rural financial systems. He highlighted that integrating digital technology into agriculture aligns with the vision of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat ensuring inclusive and sustainable rural development.
The event also featured on-spot grievances redressal, where issues related to the functioning of Kisan Khidmat Ghars (KKGs) raised by the Krishi Udyamis were promptly addressed.
Chief Agriculture Officer Jograj Singh Slathia informed the participants about various government initiatives launched to extend handholding to Krishi Udyamis and the welfare of the farming community. He briefed them about the availability of several online departmental services, including PM-KISAN, Digipay CSC Cash Withdrawal/ Deposit All Banks self-registration, registration for input licenses and registration under the HADP portal, which encompasses 29 projects across agriculture and allied sectors.
Major initiatives include Farm Mechanization, Alternate Agriculture Systems, and Promotion of Vegetables and Exotic Vegetables with components like Hi-Tech Poly Green Houses, Low-Cost Poly Houses and area expansion under open vegetable cultivation.
He further apprised that the process of on-boarding Krishi Udyamis on the Common Service Centre (CSC) platform has been successfully completed for all those appointed to establish Kisan Khidmat Ghars. This integration, he said, will make the KKGs viable business units and empower Krishi Udyamis as ‘Digital Service Providers’ for rural communities.
The event was attended by Additional Deputy Commissioner Tahir Mustafa Malik; District Manager CSC Imtiaz Ahmed; Subject Matter Specialist-DL S. Harvinder Singh and other officers and officials of the Agriculture Department.