Srinagar, Sep 9 (KNS): Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Wednesday held detailed discussions with stakeholders of the Manthan platform of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA), Government of India, on the roadmap and institutional framework for rolling out RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by senior officers from the Finance, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, General Administration, Education, Science and Technology and Rural Development departments, besides other officials and stakeholders.

The discussions focused on developing a practical and outcome-oriented model suited to the diverse socio-economic and geographical requirements of the Union Territory.

The RSVC initiative aims to bring appropriate science, technology and innovation closer to rural communities while creating opportunities for entrepreneurship, skill development, livelihood enhancement, local value addition and improved delivery of services.

Dulloo stressed the need for organising a day-long workshop involving relevant departments, universities, technology institutions, grassroots organisations and other stakeholders to comprehensively discuss the possibilities, institutional arrangements and implementation strategy for the programme.

He emphasised that strengthening local capacity would be critical for sustaining the initiative beyond its initial phase and ensuring that technologies introduced through RSVCs are adapted to local requirements and deliver tangible benefits to rural communities.

The Chief Secretary directed the Science and Technology Department to function as the nodal department for the initiative in J&K and maintain close coordination with the PSA office and stakeholders associated with Manthan for technology identification, institutional partnerships, capacity building and implementation support.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

During the meeting, Dulloo identified sectors such as hydropower, agriculture, horticulture, handicrafts, hospitality, education, geriatric care and drug-abuse rehabilitation as having significant potential for technology-led transformation under the RSVC framework.

He also called for convergence of the initiative with existing flagship programmes, particularly Mission YUVA and the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM), to leverage existing grassroots institutions, entrepreneurial ecosystems, training mechanisms and community outreach platforms.

The Chief Secretary said convergence with Mission YUVA could help link technology adoption with youth entrepreneurship, innovation and employment, while coordination with JKRLM could facilitate the use of suitable technologies by rural self-help groups, producers and livelihood-based enterprises.

Urging the concerned departments to adopt an ambitious and outcome-oriented approach, Dulloo said availability of funds should not become a constraint for interventions that have clear potential to improve the lives and livelihoods of people.

He stressed the need to focus on technologies and interventions capable of delivering measurable outcomes and creating sustainable impact at the community level.

The proposed initiative is aimed at creating technology-enabled rural ecosystems in J&K by connecting local needs with appropriate innovations and converting scientific and technological advancements into opportunities for livelihoods, entrepreneurship, productivity and improved quality of life in rural areas.(KNS)