Horticulture Minister, VC KU call on Governor

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 6: Syed Basharat Ahmad Bukhari, Minister for Horticulture, met Governor N.N. Vohra at the Raj Bhavan.
Bukhari apprised Governor about the various important initiatives taken under his directions to secure the rapid advancement of the horticulture sector in J&K.
Governor re-iterated his concern about the need to ensure timely advance planning for the establishment, both by growers and entrepreneurs of a well organized cold chain for preserving the fruit till it is marketed in late winter to secure maximum gain.  He emphasized that  all required actions should be taken well before the recently laid high density orchards start bearing fruit and particularly pointed to the need for adequate capacities being also set up for providing packaging materials, besides a large number of fruit processing units to be established in the Valley.
Governor also pointed to the need for significantly strengthening the two Farm Universities and a well considered Master Plan being prepared to determine the total area in the Valley, and in the other two regions, which could optimally be brought under fruit plants of various kinds.
Dr. Khurshid Andrabi, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir also met Governor and briefed him about certain issues relating to the University’s functioning.
Governor re-iterated his concern about the sustenance of the academic environment in the campus and advised VC to early appoint respected Faculty members as Counsellors Mentors in every Department to maintain continuing close contact with the students and to particularly provide them all required help and guidance. Side by side, the teaching, examination and declaration of result schedules must not be delayed.
Governor complimented VC, Faculty and students for the University securing the 47th position among the top 100 Universities in the country in the ranking done by Ministry of Human Resource Development under the National Institutional Ranking Framework.
He stressed the crucial importance of all Faculty members remaining responsible for timely and satisfactorily completing the courses and effectively safeguarding their pupils from non-scholastic influences.