Union Agriculture, Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan held a detailed review meeting with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the State Secretariat in Srinagar on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference, Chauhan insisted that a developed Jammu and Kashmir is important for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Vikati Bharat’. He said that many important decisions were taken in the interests of farmers and rural residents of the area.
During a conversation with the media along with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chauhan said that agriculture remains the backbone of both Indian and Jammu and Kashmir economies, with about 50 percent of the population depends on livelihood.
He praised the state initiative, ‘Kisan Khidmatghar’, a one-stop center that provides farmers access to all agricultural services under one roof.
Chauhan expressed satisfaction with the diversity of horticulture crops grown in the region, such as apples, almonds and walnuts. However, he also raised an important issue, imported plant material often gets infected after two or three years. To address this, a clean plant center of Rs 150 crore will be set up in Srinagar under the mission for an Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).
It will focus on clean, disease-free planting material for apples, almonds, walnuts and berries. Private nursery will also be supported to ensure high quality, pathogen -free plants, provided to farmers.
He also said that farmers in Jammu and Kashmir have received land allocation from the government, but the shortage of official documents will be considered to include under the Prime Minister Kisan Saman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme. The government is soon planning to launch the restructured weather-based crop insurance scheme (RWBCIS) to ensure that horticulture crops have been accurately mapped and included under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFB).
Commenting on the demand of a regional horticulture center in the Jammu region, Chauhan announced that ICAR would support Jammu Agricultural University with necessary infrastructure.
The minister further said that the current storage limit in CA (controlled environment) facilities will be extended from 18 months to 24 months. For Horticulture Mission, subsidy will be provided up to a storage capacity of 5,000 metric tons. Even those who have created a capacity of 6,000 tonnes of capacity will be eligible for subsidy up to 5,000 metric tons. A MoU will also be signed between ICAR and the university to facilitate cooperation.
Exposing ‘Saffron’ as a symbol of Kashmir’s identity, Chauhan announced that the central government would establish a tissue culture laboratory and nursery to promote saffron production. He said that the National Saffron Mission would be modified to accommodate local conditions, and an expert team of scientists would be established to increase productivity and reduce the loss.
To improve soil health and regulate fertilizer, quality control laboratories will be installed in Kathua, Baramulla and Anantnag. Under the RKVY scheme, efforts will also be made to increase irrigation by cutting the interval from the canal to the area.
Chauhan recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the region, during which he announced more than Rs 4,200 crore under Phase IV of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to improve road connectivity in rural areas.
He appreciated the fast-paced work of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir and said that road construction for the remaining areas will start soon.
He said that 93 percent of the houses have been completed under the PM Avas Yojana, and the remaining eligible beneficiaries identified from a pool of 500,000 applicants will be allotted to the houses after verification. To reduce rural poverty, women are being empowered through self -help groups under NRLM, with several lakhaire Didi and even millionaire Didis are earning Rs 10 lakh annually.
Regarding employment, Shivraj Chauhan said that targets have been set to ensure job availability through MGNREGA, and training programs for youth will start soon. The government will also ensure that there is no eligible farmer left from the Kisan Credit Card Scheme.
Finally, Chauhan said that the government is proud of its achievements and is committed to implementing central schemes effectively.
Echoing from the point of view of Prime Minister Modi, he assured that all efforts would be made to accelerate the development of Jammu and Kashmir. He thanked the Chief Minister and confirmed the commitment to work together for the progress of the region. (AI)