Holistic development plan laid foundations for a sea change in economic growth of J&K: LG

Jammu, Jan 10 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the policies through a holistic development plan laid the foundations for a sea change in economic growth of the Union territory.

He also asserted that this decade of the agriculture and horticulture sector belongs to Jammu and Kashmir.

Sinha said the government is committed to serve the present and future needs of farmers in an integrated manner.

The Lieutenant Governor inaugurated the mega fruit plant nursery at Chakroi in RS Pura here on Tuesday.

Congratulating the farmers and fruit growers on the occasion, Sinha said the nursery will provide the best technologies as well as true-to-type quality planting material that will reshape the horticulture sector in the area.

He also said it is a massive achievement that in one year, a mega fruit plant nursery has been established in an area where cross-border shelling was a normal thing in fields.

“This decade in the agriculture and horticulture sector belongs to J&K UT. The policies through holistic development plan have laid the foundations for a sea change in J&K’s economic growth,” said the Lieutenant Governor.

Sinha also shared the vision of the government to bring a significant change in the lives of farmers of J&K and accelerate the growth of its economy.

“Our effort is to make sub-tropical fruit cultivation a multi-faceted business by increasing efficiency of orchards with the help of various interventions like setting up new nurseries and new plant material testing labs,” observed the Lieutenant Governor.

He said that the government is committed to serve the present and future needs of farmers in an integrated manner.

“Our endeavour is also to convert farm’s & orchard’s potential into farmer’s power and transform all the districts of both Jammu and Kashmir divisions into a hub of export with the cultivation of niche crops and value addition of special products.”

In order to meet future challenges and to ensure a new wave of growth momentum, 29 projects approved by the apex committee for holistic development of agriculture & allied sectors are being implemented. The plan worth Rs 5,013 crore will bring significant change in the lives of around 13 lakh farming families of J&K, including 2.62 lakh small and marginal farming families, he noted.

“No other region in the country has made such a revolutionary intervention in the Agriculture and allied sector. All arrangements, from seed to market have been made through the implementation framework of the plan,” he added.

The Prime Minister has ensured that there would be no shortage of funds for farmers of J&K, the Lieutenant Governor said.

Sinha also suggested measures to improve productivity and tackle challenges as well as opportunities in the agriculture and allied sectors.

“A strong agricultural marketing ecosystem will increase the farm income and reduce the value loss. We are working on covering the entire value chain, including inputs, harvesting, processing, packing, and storage, besides meeting the need for quality planting material and developing infrastructure & other facilities while taking climatic conditions into consideration,” he said.

We have also made provisions to arrange and grow 80 per cent of fodder requirements locally within J&K, he added.

Speaking on the services extended by the government, the Lieutenant Governor said that around 31 lakh land passbooks have been generated and more than 400 public services have been made fully online with a provision of the Public Services Guarantee Act.