Lalitpur, November 16:

The District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), Lalitpur, in coordination with the District Development Committees (DDCs) and Village Development Committees (VDCs), today set

up Agriculture Contact Offices in Lele and Bungmati VDCs of Lalitpur.

The District Development Committee provided the furniture and necessary materials while rental charges will be borne by the Village Development Committees and the DADO has deployed three personnel each to run the offices, said Atma Ram Lohani, senior agriculture development officer at DADO, Lalitpur.

“Six agriculture service centres and seven sub-service centres operating under the DADO in thirteen VDCs were catering to around 97 farmers’ groups in the district till the last fiscal year 2004/05,” Lohani said. “These 13 service centres were, however, reduced to five VDCs, namely Lubhu, Chapagaon, Chaughare, Gotikhel and Bhatedanda.”

Lohani added that the service centres at Thecho, Asrang, Lele, Champi, Lamatar, Bungmati were terminated following the government’s policy to strengthen the local farmers’ groups in providing services and implementing programmes.

“But we have realised that the farmers were not alone capable of playing the role of facilitators. Hence, these two contact offices have been set up to cater to 11 VDCs in Lalitpur district,” said Lohani. Two contact offices in Lele and Bungmati will serve Devichaur, Dalchoki, Chaughare, Nallu, Bhardeu, Sainbu, Khokana, Champi and Dikhuchap VDCs.