Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 30: Secretary Horticulture Department M. H. Mallik, today inspected Govt. fruit plant nurseries at Ludhwal and Nihalpur in district Kathua both of which have been accreditated by the National Horticulture Board.
The Secretary inspected the mother blocks of Guava, Mango and Litchi in the Ludhwal nursery and instructed the officers to replace the old and senile plants with the improved ones, introduce the improved varieties of Litchi, make the borewell functional and also ascertain soil status.
While inspecting Nihalpur nursery, the Secretary stressed on taking up the orchard sanitation drive on priority besides repairing and maintenance of irrigation channels in the nursery and also prepare a comprehensive plan for its upgradation based on scientific lines.
The various components of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes viz. portable sprinkler irrigation system, borewell, vermibeds, etc. established with the assistance of the department in the orchards of Barnoti and Hiranagar Blocks were also inspected. He desired for introduction of Jack fruit plantation in the area expansion programme.
The Secretary was accompanied by Director Horticulture Jammu Bhawani Rakwal, Deputy Director Horticulture (Central) Rajeev Mahajan, Chief Horticulture Officer Kathua Tarvinder Singh, and other district and block level officers of the department.
Later, the Secretary had a meeting with District Development Commissioner, Kathua, Ramesh Kumar regarding pendency of issues pertaining to Horticulture and for their immediate redressal.
The DDC assured his full support in resolving the issues. He also visited Fruit and Vegetable Mandi at Kathua and directed the concerned officers to operationalize the mandi by ending October.
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