A Study on Impact of ATMA Model in Bihar

Abstract

The ITD component of NATP was implemented with the financial support of World Bank in seven States, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab from November, 1998 to June, 2005. In Bihar ATMA were started in Muzaffarpur (Yr-1999), Madhubani (Yr-2000), Munger (Yr-2001) and Patna (Yr-2002). The project focused on bottom-up planning process for technology assessment, refinement and dissemination in order to make the whole extension system demand-driven and farmer accountable. This has helped to strengthen research and extension capabilities, restructure public extension services and test new institutional arrangements for technology transfer with the involvement of all the stakeholders of Government and Non-Government agencies at the district level. The new institutional arrangements namely Technology Dissemination Management Committee (TDMC), Inter-Departmental Working Group (IDWG), State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI), Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Farm Information and Advisory Centers (FIACs), Block Technology Team (BTTs), Farmer Advisory Committees (FACs) and Farmers’ Organizations were established, operationalized and pilot tested at national, state, district, block and village level. To operationalize this new concept in the state and to change the mindset of all the stakeholders, various HRD interventions through more than 70 workshops, seminars, trainings and exposure visits that were organized by MANAGE and state level SAMETI (BAMETI). Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) were registered as an autonomous institution and operationalized in four districts across the State. ATMA was managed by its GB headed by District Magistrate and its day to day activity by ATMA Managing Committee headed by Project Director drawn from the SAU (RAU, Bihar) and line department. Block level mechanism was set up through 69 block level Farm Information and Advisory Centers (FIACs). State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI), an autonomous institution was established and operationalized in the State. The technology validation/dissemination was made demand-driven, market-led and farmer accountable, through bottom-up, participatory planning procedures. First, PRA were carried out in each district, which resulted in Strategic Research Extension Plans (SREPs). Research-Extension-Farmer-Market linkages were strengthened in all the districts. To promote the use of IT, the line departments including KVK/ZRS at district level and FIACs at block level were equipped with computers, telephone and internet connectivity. The mass media played a very important role in creating the awareness about the reforms and replication of success stories to non project areas . For skill up gradation and capacity building of field functionaries and farmers interest groups, both HRD activities and field programs, which included demonstration of new technologies, farmers training and exposure visits, were undertaken on a massive scale by ATMAs through line departments in various fields of agriculture, horticulture, vegetables, floriculture, aromatic and medicinal plants, animal husbandry, fisheries and allied sectors, including bee keeping, vermi-compost, value added food products and market led activities. The institutional restructuring and operational reforms which included farmer participation in planning and implementation/bottom up planning process, broad based farming system approach, public-private-partnership, collaborations of different stakeholders, strengthening R-E-F linkages, mainstreaming gender concern, augmenting IT application in agriculture and extension have started addressing the identified constraints faced in technology dissemination, as envisaged in the project. Despite some hiccups and the lower than expected support from the state government the model worked due to its innovative approach i.e. autonomy and fund flow mechanism, and was able to win back the confidence of all the stakeholders including farmers, towards the system which they had lost over the years due to the general apathy of the successive government towards this sector. If this pattern of funding is changed or the state’ governments financial rule are applied the autonomy of ATMA would be compromised and then this would go the same way other similar projects have gone, downhill.