Agriculture J&K’s economic backbone, committed to empower farmers: CM
Shadow Correspondent
Srinagar, Sep 09:
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday appealed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to operate special trains between Kashmir and rest of the country for ferrying essential goods to the valley and transport fruits to terminal markets of the country.
The Jammu Srinagar national highway has been closed following incessant rains and landslides en route, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying horticulture produce stranded.
“Our (railway) tracks are open. I will request the Rail Minister if two to four special trains can be operated for bringing in essential supplies to Kashmir and taking out fruit from here, people will get some relief,” Abdullah told reporters outside his private office here.
He said Jammu and Kashmir had suffered losses due to floods and its aftermath on various accounts and he expected that the Centre would compensate for these losses.
“Lives have been lost in Kishtwar, residential houses and shops have been damaged, government infrastructure has also suffered due to floods. Fruit was not damaged by rains but is rotting in the trucks due to closure of the highway,” the chief minister.
He said an inter-ministerial central team had come to Jammu and Kashmir for loss assessment after the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a first
Operate special trains
hand assessment of the situation in the wake of devastating floods. “The Home Minister spent an entire day here. It is not as if no one came here …We expect that we are compensated for the losses we have suffered due to floods,” he added.
Asked about slapping of PSA against AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, the chief minister said it was unnecessary.
“Now what did he do to deserve a PSA? I fail to understand the reason for invoking such a stringent law, what did he do? Was there a law and order problem? Was there stone pelting anywhere? If the MLA had committed any mistake, it can be set right in the assembly under the supervision of the Speaker. PSA-like law should not have been invoked. This will fade the trust and faith of people in democracy,” he said.
Abdullah said the LG administration also made a mistake on July 13 by detaining leaders.
“On July 14, they made (another) mistake by using police to manhandle me,” he said referring to his visit to the Martyrs’ graveyard to pay tributes to those who were killed by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931.
“On the contrary, there is no action taken against those who have vitiated the atmosphere here by playing with our religious sentiments. Innocent people are being harassed, they are being summoned to police stations,” he added. The Apex Committee for the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) led by Dr. Mangla Rai, renowned agriculture scientist and former DG, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), today called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and briefed him about the progress on implementation of HADP for development of Agriculture & allied sectors across Jammu and Kashmir.
Other committee members including Dr. PK Joshi, Secretary NAAS; Dr HS Gupta, former Director IARI; Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai; Vice Chancellor SKUAST-J, Dr BN Tripathi and Dr. JP Sharma, former VC SKUAST-J were also present.
Mission Director HADP, J&K Sandeep Kumar, was also present on the occasion.
During the interaction, Dr. Mangal Rai gave an overview of HADP and presented comprehensive two-year progress report on the program’s initiatives. He also presented several suggestions before the Chief Minister to further enhance the program’s implementation and impact.
He also briefed the Chief Minister about the role of Apex Committee, informing that the committee is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the HADP through comprehensive agricultural development strategies aimed at transforming the agricultural sector and improving the socio-economic conditions of farmers.
Dr. Rai also briefed the Chief Minister about the ongoing three-day midterm review (2023-2025) of HADP by Apex Committee which commenced yesterday at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir, adding that the committee will continue its deliberations over the next two days to ensure the successful achievement of all HADP goals.
While interacting with the committee members, the Chief Minister stressed on them to focus on comprehensive roadmap for sustainable agricultural development, diversification, and empowerment of farming communities in the region. He emphasized on the critical need for an integrated strategy that addresses sectoral challenges like soil health, water management, modern farming techniques, and market linkages.
Omar Abdullah further highlighted that the agriculture sector remains a pivotal driver of J&K’s economy and reaffirmed the government’s resolve to provide an enabling environment for farmers by facilitating access to modern inputs, credit, technology, and markets. He added that J&K is emerging as role model for agriculture sector across the country.
While commending the Apex Committee for progress on implementation of HADP, the Chief Minister called for effective promotion of horticulture and allied activities, strengthening of rural infrastructure, and establishment of a robust support framework for small and marginal farmers.
He assured the Committee that the Government is committed to accelerate region’s agricultural growth through progressive policy measures and active collaboration with Apex Committee.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also commended the Vice Chancellors of SKUAST-K and SKUAST-J for tremendous improvement in the academic and research ecosystem of the both varsities. He also lauded them for NIRF ranking of 7th for SKUAST-K and 23rd for SKUAST-J.
