A-HELP' Program launched in Jharkhand

• 11 Oct 2023

Why In News?

On October 10, 2023, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India launched the 'A-HELP' (Accredited Agent for Expansion of Health and Livestock Production) programme in Jharkhand.

Key Points:

• Speaking at the event, Jharkhand Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperation Minister Badal Patralekh said about the 'A-HELP' programme that aims to empower women by inducting them as recognised agents. These agents contribute significantly to disease control, animal tagging and livestock insurance.
• He said that the new scheme will increase the access of veterinary services to the doorsteps of the farmers and will empower the animal Sakhi’s. This is an important step towards promoting socio-economic progress, remarkable integration of women power.
• Alka Upadhyay, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, participating in the program virtually, said that this new band of community-based functionaries called Accredited Agents for Health and Extension of Livestock Production (A-HELP) will help local veterinary institutions. and is designed to fill the void and provide primary health services among livestock owners and will serve as livestock resource persons and primary service providers.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has launched a unique initiative called 'A-HELP' (Accredited Agent for Expansion of Health and Livestock Production) and it has already been launched in various States/UTs including Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has initiated this remarkable initiative through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between DAHD and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India.