The genesis of establishing an independent and autonomous agency Agriculture Technology Majagement Agency- called 'ATMA' lies in the fact that the Government efforts hitherto, at the best have been restricted to involving masses in planning or implementation of different welfare schemes but they very scantly have been aimed at empowering the people to assess their needs and suggest suitable interventions at their own level in order to address the issues that are related to their occupation and affect their economic well-being.

Concept of ATMA is an experiment undertaken in the project to enable and empower the masses to plan and formulate the scvhemes as per their own requirment. Establishing ATMA in various project districts is an attempt to decentralize the process of planning and implementation at the district level. ATMA is one such innovation like many others, which are introduced and tried under the project in the belief that the process of planning were set right, the results would automatically flow there-from.

ATMA is established as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 initially in 2 districts (Saharanpur & Jhansi) on a pilot basis. It is established as an autonomus body to prepare the district plans and utilize the funds relating to extension activities of the various departments viz. Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, and Animal Husbandry etc. Now instead of deciding at the state level, it will be ATMA which will decide as to which extension activity is to be taken up in which part of the district. The concerned departments will part with their funds to ATMA for execution of the plan. Enthralled by the success of ATMA in Saharanpur and Jhansi, it is now decided to replicate the same in other project districts also.

Main objectives of ATMA are as follows:-
• To identify location specific needs of farming community for farming system based agricultural   development;
•To set up priorities for sustainable agricultural development with a Farming System Approach;
•To draw plans for production based system activities to be undertaken by farmers/ultimate users;
•To execute plans through line departments, training institutions, NGOs, farmers organizations and allied   institutions;
•To coordinate efforts being made by various line department, NGOs, farmers organizations and allied   institutions to strengthen research-extension-farmers linkages in the district and to promote collaboration   and coordination between various state government departments; (Deptt. of Agri., Deptt. of Animal   Husbandry, Deptt. of Horticulture, Deptt. of Sericulture, Deptt. of Dairy, etc.)
•To facilitate the empowerment of farmers/producers through assistance for mobilization, organizing them   into associations, cooperatives etc.; and by ensuring their increased participation in planning, marketing,   technology dissemination and agro- processing etc.
•To facilitate market interventions for value additions to farm produce.

• Take steps to ensure that problems, constraints and needs of the farming community are identified and   diagnosed periodically.
• —Draw up plans by stressing on integrated research-extension linkage approach for farming systems for   agriculture development of the district.
•Ensure that line departments/institutions draw up integrated development plan based upon resources   available with them and other supplementary resources mobilized by the ATMA.
•Forge or develop systematic linkages between national/state/district institutions of excellence in the field of   agriculture and marketing.
•Ensure capacity building of the personnel engaged in overall agriculture development and strengthen   infrastructure support for the benefit of the farmers and producers.
•Create suitable mechanism to ensure location specific adaptive, indigenous knowledge based research.
•Ensure adequate linkages and frequent interaction between scientists, extension functionaries, technicians &   farmers in order to prepare an integrated plan to develop better understanding of the problems, means to be   adopted to sort out those problems and to develop a mechanism of feed back.
•Ensure capacity building of the ultimate users i.e. the farmers by way of providing them training for skill   up-gradation, and also to provide credit to them through various lending institutions.
•Facilitate private investments for infrastructure development.
•Receive and expend project funds, maintain revolving accounts, enter into contracts and agreements, receive   donations and provide services & deliver goods to beneficiaries.
•Generate resources in order to bring financial sustainability through charging for selected services rendered   to beneficiaries by ATMA.
•Make rules and byelaws for the conduct of the affairs of the ATMA and add, amend, vary or rescind them   from time to time.
•Do all such lawful acts and things whether incidental to objectives in force or not as may be required in   furtherance of the objectives of the ATMA, and
•Do all other such things as may be considered necessary by the society (ATMA) and may be incidental or   conducive to the attainment of its objectives.

With a view to managing the activities and functions of ATMA, there is a Governing Board. Following is the composition of the Governing Board of ATMA: -

The Governing Board of ATMA is supposed to discharge the following functions;

•To call a meeting once in a quarter as per the rules in regard there to.
•To review and approve strategic and Annual Work Plans that are prepared and submitted to the Governing   Board by the Participating units;
•To receive and review annual progress reports submitted by the participating units;
•To provide feedback and direction to the participating units as needed about the various research and   extension activities being carried out within the district;
•To receive and allocate project funds to carry out priority research extension and related activities within   the district;
•To foster the organization and development of Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) and Farmers Organization   (FOs) within the district
•To facilitate greater involvement of private sector in providing inputs, technical support, agro-processing   and marketing services to farmers;
•To encourage lending institutions to increase the availability of credit to resource poor and marginal   farmers, especially scheduled caste, scheduled tribe and woman farmers;
•To encourage line departments, Krisi Vigyan Kendras and Zonal Research Station to establish farmers   Advisory Committees for providing necessary feedback and input for their research and extension   programmes;
•To enter into contracts and agreements as appropriate to promote and support agricultural development   activities within the district;
•To identify other sources of financial support that would help ensure the financial sustainability of the   ATMA and its participating units;
•To establish revolving funds/accounts for each participating unit and encourage each unit to make technical   services available on cost recovery basis.
•To arrange for the audit of ATMA's financial accounts; and
•To adopt and amend the rules and byelaws of the ATMA.

-Chairman
-Member
-Member
-Member
-Member

-Member
-Member
-Member
-Member
-Member Secretary

Major functions of the Management Committee are as hereunder:-

•To carry out periodic Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs) to identify for the problems and constraints   faced by farmers of different socio-economic groups within the district.
•To prepare an Integrated Strategic Research & Extension Plan (SREP) for the districts that would specify   short and medium-term priorities with respect to extension activities, adaptive research and technology   dissemination. The plan should also contain the important constraints identified during Participatory Rural   Appraisal exercise.
•To prepare annual work plans and budget proposals for submission to the Governing Board for review and   approval.
•To coordinate the implementation of the annual work plans with various implementing agencies e.g. Zonal   Research Stations, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Non-Government Organizations, Farmer Interest   Groups/Farmers Organizations and allied Institutions, private sector etc.
•To maintain appropriate project accounts and ensure its audit for submission to the Governing Board.
•To establish coordination mechanisms at the block level such as Farmer Advisory Centres (FACs) to   integrate extension and technology transfer activities at the block and village levels.
•To submit Annual Performance Reports to the Governing Board and initiate action on the directives given   by the Board on various issues, and
• To recommend nomination of the non-official members to the Governing Board.

It is now decided that once ATMA is established in a district; the funds of various departments, which are earmarked for the extension activities, will not be spent by the individual departments at their level, but rather will be pooled and transferred to ATMA. ATMA would then decide the suitable agencies to which these resources are to be passed on for carrying out various extension activities. Directives for utilizing the funds would also be issued by the ATMA in line with the overall policies of the Government.