New Delhi: In a move, the Indian government has made a decision to deploy National Level Monitors (NLM) to effectively supervise various livestock initiatives, such, as the National Livestock Mission and Rashtriya Gokul Mission. This decision comes as the livestock sector continues to play a role in India’s economy, with its contribution increasing from 24.32 percent in 2014-2015 to 30.87 percent in 2020-21.
Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, shared this news with The Indian Express. She explained that a dedicated scheme for NLMs has been approved, and the department has already begun the process of selecting these monitors. It is expected to take one to one and a half months to complete this process.
Apart from overseeing the National Livestock Mission and Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the Department of Animal Husbandry is responsible for implementing programs like the National Programme for Dairy Development and Livestock Health and Disease Control program. The appointed NLMs will also extend their supervision to these initiatives.
The terms of reference, for NLMs outline two modes of monitoring; monitoring and special monitoring. These methods have the objective of guaranteeing that the Ministry’s programs are carried out in accordance, with established guidelines, following the designated implementation processes, and maintaining transparency and fairness in selecting beneficiaries. Additionally NLMs will collect feedback from villagers, take into account their suggestions for improvement, and verify if incentives, for paravets technicians and farmers have been distributed according to scheme specifications.
The monitoring process will also encompass data collection related to vaccination, disease monitoring, and artificial insemination, which should be uploaded on the National Digital Livestock Mission in real-time. In cases where serious complaints are raised by people’s representatives or farmers regarding fund misutilization or irregularities, NLMs will be tasked with verifying facts and conducting preliminary inquiries with the approval of the Secretary.