Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 12: While Kashmir region of the State is going to be become 36% good grain deficit by next year, it may cross the figure of 50% by 2030 if the corrective measures were not taken by the Government while Gogo and Airport Cooperative Colonies in Srinagar and Tawi Vihar Colonies in Jammu have not sought any required permission from the concerned Revenue authorities or the Land Use Board of the State.
The startling revelations were made by the Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir while responding to the question of National Conference Legislator, Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri in the Upper House today. While drawing the attention of the House towards the seriousness of the issue connected with the conversion of agriculture land for commercial use besides switching over to horticulture sector by the farmers, he said coming out of large Colonies at the cost of agriculture land is also another issue which has caused impact on the food production.
Though Minister did not hesitate to snub Mr Veeri for his remarks that reply has not been given straight and rather placed in the form of … “Trarorh Marorh Ke”, yet he maintained that it was collective responsibility of all to help Government in this regard. He maintained that his department has tried to give a comprehensive and elaborated reply with exhaustive work put on it. He dismissed the claim of the member for his `unfair’ remarks.
Mr Mir said in Jammu the production of food grains was sufficient but in Kashmir the picture was not good. He indicated the food grain deficiency of 36 % in Kashmir by next year and maintained that it may reach up to 41.07 % by 2020-21 while it is expected to escalate to 50 % by 2030-2031. He disclosed that shrinking of agriculture land and fast conversion of this land into commercial activities, shifting of farmers from agriculture to horticulture, production of vegetables and other sectors has caused much impact on it. He also referred to the influx of tourists/pilgrims and said that they also consume the food stuff and corrective measures are needed to be taken.
He disclosed that State has been covered under National Food Security Mission and same for rice has been introduced in the three districts of Kathua, Samba and Jammu and the scheme for wheat has been introduced in the six districts of Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Leh and Kargil. Mr Mir said in Kashmir production has also been hit by several other factors which include having un-irrigated area of about 1.4 lakh hectare under maize and pulse cultivation. Maize contribution towards food grain production is just 22%. Besides conversion of agriculture land for non-agriculture purpose, construction of roads, railways, buildings etc are the other reasons for it. The Minister further disclosed that contribution of agriculture and allied activities to GSDP was 30.40 % in 2000-2001 while it fell down to 20.80 % in 2009-10.
Responding to another question regarding action taken by Government against violators of conversion of agriculture land for Gogo and Airport Coop Colonies in Srinagar and Tawi Vihar Colony at Sidhra, the Minister said as per the report of Deputy Commissioner Budgam, no permission has been granted by the State Revenue authorities to the people developing Colony at 200 kanal of land near Airport in Srinagar and on 150 kanal of land at village Gogo near Srinagar. He said such unauthorized conversion of land is taking place in urban and sub-urban areas and in rural arears it is nominal. Moreover, no permission has been granted by the Land Use Board for conversion of Tawi Vihar, Sidhra land and adjacent areas in Jammu for conversion. These areas now fall in Municipal Corporations of Srinagar and Jammu, respectively.
The Minister pointed out that Land Revenue Act and Acts like Agrarian Reforms Act, Prohibition of Conversion of Land and Alienation of Orchards Act regulate the conversion of agriculture land for non-agriculture purpose.
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