*Planning, Finance Deptts asked to release funds promptly
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 9: In a major development, the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has issued directions to the Agriculture Production Department for immediate start of work on Basmati Cluster Project, which was announced in the Budget for 2015-16 financial year. Even the Finance and Planning Departments have been asked to promptly complete the procedural formalities for placing sufficient funds at the disposal of Director Agriculture Jammu.
The announcement about Basmati Cluster Project was first made in the Agenda of Alliance by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government on March 1, 2015 and thereafter the same was reiterated in the Budget for 2015-16 financial year by the Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu.
Though initially there was no seriousness on translating this announcement into reality, later necessary exercise was initiated to ensure that Basmati village is developed on scientific lines.
The proposal for Basmati Cluster Project was received in the Administrative Department of Agriculture Production in the month of September last year and thereafter directions were issued for certain key aspects like the base line survey and technical vetting by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Jammu.
Recently, presentation was made by the Agriculture Production Department before the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, who has directed for immediate start of work on the project so that the intended objective is achieved without wastage of any more time, sources said, adding “the Chief Minister was also apprised that funds to the tune of Rs 20 lakh were released to the Directorate of Agriculture Jammu just few days before March 31, 2016 as such the same were returned on the ground that it was not possible to utilize the funds within three days”.
“Now, the Chief Minister has also directed the Planning and Finance Departments to complete the procedural formalities within shortest possible time and release sufficient funds so that Agriculture Production Department initiates exercise on ground”, sources informed while disclosing that Directorate of Agriculture Jammu has promptly started ground work like interactions with the farmers, preparation of their groups and issuance of Kissan Credit Cards etc.
They informed that 771.6 hectares of area in three villages of Suchetgarh, Korotana Khurd and Bidhipur Jattan would be covered under the project. A total of 519 farming families—231 of Suchetgarh, 177 of Korotana Khurd and 111 of Bidhipur Jattan would be involved in organic farming, which will be of immense benefit for them as during this exercise focus will be laid on specific interventions for realization of the true market potential of the traditional aromatic Basmati rice of R S Pura belt.
It is pertinent to mention here that under the National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture, the utmost endeavor of the Government of India is to promote organic farming to protect soil health, environment and to provide better livelihood and self-sufficiency to resource-less rural organic farmers by enabling them to achieve sustainable production through on-farm resource management.
“The project has been developed by involving all farming families of these villages on the lines of the Participatory Organic Guarantee Scheme of certification for quality assurance as propounded by the National Centre for Organic Farming, Government of India”, sources said, adding “an essential feature of the project is mobilization of farmers to form cluster for PGS certification”.
Moreover, the Action Plan besides interventions on inputs production and their provision to farmers includes packing, labeling and branding of organic products of cluster and infrastructure development.
Pointing towards the necessity of project, sources said, “it is generally observed that the original aroma of Basmati rice is diluting with passage of time and need has been felt to impart knowledge to the farming community regarding efficient management techniques and appropriate technology to improve quality and productivity”.
“Since the Basmati rice crop requires lesser quantity of fertilizers and pesticides as compared to other high yielding and hybrid varieties the focus on seed purity and adoption of organic methods of production carries promising prospects for improving soil health and obtaining sustainably higher yields besides value addition”, sources added.
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