Agriculture department ‘slow', won't score higher than ‘six' for speed: B. Ashok
Compared to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) where he was previously the Chairman and Managing Director, the Agriculture department was quite slow-paced and would score no higher than six on a scale for speed, Mr. Ashok said.
He was speaking after inaugurating a workshop organised by the Agriculture department on the World Bank-aided Kerala Climate Resilient Agri Value-Chain Modernisation Project (KERA).
If the transmission wing of the KSEB gets 8.5 marks for speed, the Agriculture department would score only six. It is a matter of institutional culture, Mr. Ashok, who is also the Project Director of KERA and the State Agriculture Production Commissioner, said.
Ironically, Mr. Ashok's tenure as teh KSEB CMD had been marked by protracted stand-offs with the KSEB employees' unions. He said he would still give 'huge credit' to the KSEB for being 'very strong implementers.'
Mr. Ashok said the World Bank-aided KERA project offered ample opportunities for the department staff to develop skill-sets and create results in the State's farming sector. He lauded the KERA team for speedy organisation of the programme whose five-year term starts in November this year.
He also underscored the need for speed in the implementation of projects and decision-making at the KAU.
The workshop was attended by staff of the departments of Agriculture, Industries, Soil Survey and Soil Conservation, the State Planning Board, KAU, Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council, Keralam, Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, and Kerala Startup Mission.
Nagesh Kumar Anumala, Chief General Manager, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Kerala Region, presided. Sushil Kumar, General Manager, State Bank of India and KAU dean Roy Stephen spoke.
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