The much publicized Basmati cluster village project was announced by the State Government in March 2015 for which a sum of 3.5 crore rupees was sanctioned. The history of this project is a classical example of indolence and dismal lack of proper coordination among departments for planning. There is hardly a week when we are not constrained to expose one or the other instance of abject sloth and lassitude on the part of functionaries in pushing a new project. This has become the work culture of the State administrative machinery, all at the expense of ordinary tax payer.
Basmati rice has become very popular in the Gulf and many countries in the western world. There is great demand for it. RS Pura belt in Jammu region is famous for producing the finest quality of Basmati rice. Although there is strong competition for quality Basmati rice in the world market, yet RS Pura Basmati has maintained its superior position. In the light of this, the previous coalition Government envisaged a comprehensive project for the development of Basmati village. In fact, RS Pura Basmati Rice project figured in the Agenda for Alliance, a document signed by the two ruling political parties before they formally announced the forming of a Coalition Government. In pursuance of this, the Agriculture Department took up the project though belatedly, and then followed a long and tortuous process of clearing the project through so many bottlenecks. The file kept on tossing from one table to another, which indicated that there was absolute lack of proper planning. For example, at one stage the file was sent to the SKUAST Jammu for expert opinion of the faculties. Actually, this exercise should have been done before the DRP was drawn. The SKUAST agency proposed various suggestions and these were now incorporated and finally the file was sent to the Agricultural Production Department . At this stage, authorities began to understand that there was no mention about which agency was to fund the project and whether that was budgeted or not. Actually, the previous Government while presenting Budget on March 22, 2015 put a seal of approval by stating that the village will have all the facilities from growing, packaging and branding of Basmati. However, the dream has yet not become a reality mainly because of lack of proper planning and coordination. In the process according to the new DRP drawn for the project there is escalation of at least two crore rupees. Already, the exercise of passing the buck had begun in regard to funding of the project. With escalation in the cost of project nearly twice the original cost, the fate of the project seems to be hanging in balance. Nobody can say whether the project will be undertaken or not. Incidentally, no work has begun on the ground because the tossing of the papers continues in the secretariat and ten months have already passed. There is no sign of the project taking off.
When the scheme of Basmati cluster village was announced, a wave of hope and expectation gripped the entire farmer society of RS Pura belt that the scheme would bring big dividends and their lot would drastically change. But alas, the Government has only played with the sentiments of farmers and brought them only disappointment. It is rank callousness and betrayl of trust. RS Pura has a long and memorable history of supporting the movement for populist Government in 1930s and 40s. The farmers of RS Pura were in the forefront of that movement. It is betrayal of trust if they are meted out scurvy treatment now. We hope the authorities will understand the implications of disappointing RS Pura peasantry
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