Public Funds Must Serve Farmers' Interests: HPCDP-II Project Director Dr. Sunil Chauhan

Hamirpur, August 6: Project Director of the Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project-II (HPCDP-II), JICA-ODA, Dr. Sunil Chauhan, emphasized that the misuse of public funds at the cost of farmers’ welfare is unacceptable, stating that every activity under the project must remain focused on benefiting farmers.

He was inaugurating an HRD training programme on “Team Building, Leadership Development, Motivation and Stress Management” for officials and staff of the District Project Management Unit (DPMU) Hamirpur and the associated Block Project Management Units (BPMUs) of Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Una. The training is being conducted by senior corporate trainer Manu Bhardwaj.

Addressing the participants, Dr. Chauhan highlighted the importance of the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement, urging officials to adopt a solution-oriented approach rather than avoiding challenges. He also called for transparent and fearless communication with farmers to better address their concerns.

Senior Consultant Baljeet Sandhu said the objective of such training programmes is to equip employees with the right skills and mindset to resolve farmers’ issues effectively. He stressed the need for technological innovation, efficient resource utilization, and a multi-skilled work culture.

District Project Manager Dr. Santosh Sharma presented the training framework, while the programme was coordinated by the BPM-Hamirpur.