Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 18: Minister for Horticulture, Abdul Rehman Veeri today said that fruit and vegetable mandi Parimpora would be developed on modern lines with state-of-the-art infrastructure. He said cold storage unit with a capacity of 5000 metric tons would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22 crore in the mandi besides the mandi would be modernized at a cost of Rs 12 crore.
Interacting with the traders and fruit growers during his visit to the Parimpora fruit mandi, the Minister said the Government contemplates to create a cold chain for preserving the fruit and vegetables in the fruit mandis of the State.
He assured the traders that concerted steps would be taken to refurbish the Parimpora fruit mandi. He said a guest house would be also constructed at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore in the mandi.
Mr Veeri said the Government has initiated innovative measures to give further boost to state’s horticulture sector. “We want to put in place a robust post-harvest infrastructural mechanism, for which there is a need to increase the cold storage capacity,” he said and added that post-harvest management is being strengthened with the use of controlled-atmosphere stores, packaging and grading centers, and better marketing facilities. “For this purpose, a provision of Rs 4 crore has been made during the current fiscal,” he said.
To overcome the marketing challenges in horticulture and vegetable sector, he said the development of 36 fruit and vegetable markets is underway in a phased manner in the State.
The Minister also had a meeting with the representatives of New Kashmir Fruit Association and officers of Horticulture Marketing and Planning Department, where several issues related to development of the fruit mandi were discussed.
The Minister directed the concerned authorities for repairs and renovation of link roads besides black-topping of the mandi’s interior roads on priority. He also called for immediate repairs of high mast lights and restoration of dewatering pumps in the mandi. He directed maintenance of proper sanitation in the mandi and asked Director Marketing and Planning to take up the matter immediately with the Municipal authorities.
Mr. Veeri also directed demarcation of fruit mandi area for fencing and asked the concerned authorities to be proactive and redress the problems of fruit growers and traders well in time.
Chairman New Kashmir Fruit Association apprised the Minister about the problems faced by traders in marketing their produce in other parts of the country.
MLA, Batamaloo, Noor Mohammad Sheikh, Director Horticulture (P&M), Director Horticulture, Kashmir, Managing Director HPMC, President New Kashmir Fruit Association besides other senior officers and representatives of traders association accompanied the Minister during the tour.
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