Avtar Bhat
KATHUA, Dec 1: Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to double the income of farmers by 2022, Union Minister of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today announced the first of its kind seed processing plant in the State for Kathua and Fresh Jammu initiative for the farmers.
The announcement was made by him while addressing an awareness campaign on Centrally sponsored schemes for agriculture organized by Directorate of Field Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India at Degree College Kathua. Dr Jitendra Singh was the chief guest on the occasion.
Terming it another game changer for the farmers of Kathua after Shahpur Kandi Project which was hanging in balance for last 40 years and was revived recently with the intervention of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said while with Shahpur Kandi there will be adequate irrigation facilities in Kathua and Samba districts, the Seed Processing Plant and Fresh Jammu Initiative will bring ease of agriculture entrepreneurship and also open vistas for young startups.
The Union Minister said over two acre land for Seed Processing Plant has been identified at village Tarf, seven kms from here and he took up the issue with Chief Secretary of the State yesterday asking him to expedite the land transfer process.
He said the land belonged to Irrigation Department and they have given the NOC to CS for its transfer to Agriculture Department. After this process is completed and land is acquired by Agriculture Department, the National Seed Corporation, a Union Agriculture Ministry organization will establish the Seed Processing Plant in Kathua, he added.
He said the latest technology research based seeds to the farmers of the State will be available here. Moreover under Fresh Jammu Initiative, the farmers produce from different parts of the region can be taken to the other mandis of the country in fully equipped high-tech vehicles in which the agri produce will remain fully preserved.
Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also MP from Kathua-Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary Constituency, said that Rs 25 lakh will be sanctioned from his MPLAD Fund as first installment for purchase of vehicles.
Terming Shahpur Kandi revival a great initiative taken up by the Modi Government to bring cheers on the faces of farmers in the Kathua- Samba belt, he took a dig at previous Governments for putting up the project in cold storage and harming the interests of farmers of this belt.
He said with construction of Shahpur Kandi the Kandi areas of the twin districts of Kathua and Samba will no more remain Kandi and with the setting up of Seed Processing Plant and Fresh Jammu Initiative there will be sea change in the life of farming community. These initiatives are in consonance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling the farmers income by 2022.
Earlier talking to reporters at Jammu soon after his arrival from Union Capital, Dr Jitendra Singh criticized Rahul Gandhi’s hypocrisy of temple visits and said that there are no takers for his drama in Gujarat.
He said “as poll dates are drawing near in Gujarat you will see one sided elections in the State’’. The Congress has no open road map, no arguments but its leadership is only misleading the people. The Gujarat youth of 2017 can’t be misled by it, he added.
On Rahul Gandhi seeking answers to his questions from BJP, Dr Singh said the BJP need not to waste energy on his questions and he needs to change his script writers.
On release of first time stone pelters, Dr Singh said that GoI has appointed a Representative and he has been given mandate to hold talks and get personal inputs. “If such issue comes that any first time stone pelter after his release indulges again in such practice there is no law debarring from arresting him’’, he added.
On implementation of 73 and 74 Constitutional amendment in the State, Dr Jitendra Singh said that for the strengthening of grass root democracy the two amendments should be implemented. “But as Coalition Government is bound by Agenda of Alliance (AoA) so fulfilling of personnel agendas are difficult.
On suggestions given from certain quarters of holding talks with Pakistan, Dr Singh said on this issue he is not the appropriate person to comment but maintained that no politician can advise the GoI on talks as they (GoI) know better and decision in this regard should be left to them.
On Dr Abdullah daring Centre to raise tricolour in Srinagar, the Union Minister said when Dr Abdullah was the CM, he was raising the National Flag there regularly and if he becomes CM tomorrow he will do the same again.
On the victory of BJP in civic polls in UP, Dr Jitendra Singh said that it is reiteration of people’s trust in UP CM and series of reforms brought by Modi Government at national level. He said these results may certainly help in Gujarat but in that State the people have already made up their mind to go with BJP.
He said the youth of Gujarat are conscious and youth of 2017 believe in reasoning and they can’t be misled by hypnotism.
Addressing the Field publicity Programme at Kathua, the Union Minister said that the adequate technical initiatives taken in the Agriculture sector would ensure increase in the productivity and augment the economic profile of the farming community as envisaged by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Calling for a need to bring new prospective in the Agriculture Sector by promoting Agro based Entrepreneurship, Dr Jitendra Singh said the focus of Government is to reach the last man who is the weakest link in the chain to make the country developed. He emphasized the need to build capacity and create jobs for the youth in the agriculture and allied sectors. He further added that similar initiatives have already been taken under his leadership in North East.
Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE) Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary who was Guest of Honour on the occasion, appreciated the efforts of Directorate of Field Publicity for organising the program. He said DFP is meant for spreading awareness among people living in far-flung areas of the country. He urged the gathering to spread the information in their locality about various Centrally sponsored schemes highlighted during the special outreach programme organized by Directorate of Field Publicity.
MLA Kathua, Rajiv Jasrotia in his address said that farming community should take advantage of the modern technology in order to make the farming and related practices simpler and increase their productivity.
MLA Hiranagar, Kuldeep Raj also spoke on the occasion and said that unless the schemes and initiatives taken by the Government of India reached common rural masses, they cannot be benefited and the objective of doubling their income will remain unfulfilled.
Director General Directorate of Field Publicity, R.P Saroj in his address said that Government of India has launched 72 schemes for the benefit of the local masses and it is the duty of Directorate of Field Publicity to spread awareness about all these schemes among local masses through two way (Interpersonal) communications. He said that people should know how to avail the benefit of these schemes and to whom they need to approach for availing these benefits.
Deputy Director, DFP, J&K, Neha Jalali in her address gave brief Introduction of DFP and made people aware about the working of DFP and its aims & objectives of organizing such awareness programmes.
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