Minister opposes showing constraints
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 2: The Legislative Assembly today rejected a Private Member’s resolution on establishment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Jammu region.
The Resolution moved by Legislator, Dr. Narinder Singh Raina of BJP reads, “This House urges for the proposal of establishment of a Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir: a strategic imperative for VIKSIT BHARAT @2047″.
Legislators Mir Saifullah and Nizam -ud -Din Bhat moved amendments on the resolution.
However when Member refused to withdraw the resolution on the reply of Minister of Rural Development and Animal Husbandry, Javed Ahmed Dar showing constraints for the Government in establishing the University, the MLA pressed that it be put to vote as some NC members also spoke in favour of the resolution. However, it was defeated through voice vote.
The MLA, while strongly advocating for opening of a Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Jammu region pointed towards Speaker, Abdul Rahim rather saying in 2014 when he was Finance Minister a news made rounds that Veterinary University is being established in J&K. Earlier also in 2011 -2012 there was news about establishment of Veterinary University in the erstwhile State. The National Commission on Veterinary in its report has said there is dearth of Veterinarians and it is a long process.
He said J&K was exporting live stock and veterinary items up to 1950. “We were exporting Desi chicken and now we import it”. He said in hilly belt maximum people are landless and they are dependent totally on live stock. In J&K 70 percent rural people have live stock as a source of earning. In Punjab per capita of milk is 1.25 kg while in J&K it is half Kg. The J&K which was on number one in producing fodder and the same has decreased by 28 percent now.
Supporting him Mir Saifullah said it is a good resolution and needs to be adopted by the House However he made one amendment demanding establishment of University in Kashmir also. He said universities be established in both the regions of the UT. He regretted that it has become a trend now -`Jammu -Jammu’. Perhaps they are doing it for vote politics. The resolution smacks discrimination. Otherwise it is a good proposal that the UT should be self sufficient in milk, mutton , fish, chicken etc.
Nizam-ud-Din Bhat of Congress who too supported the resolution though his amendment stressed that the varsity be established in his Constituency Bandipora which has lot of potential for the same. There is no need of motivating people as majority of the people rare live stock in Bandipora district. The district is number one in this tradition, he added.
Nazir Gurezi of NC also supported the resolution.
However Minister Javed Dar, while opposing the resolution said there should be varsity of Horticulture, Animal and Sheep as well but the same is not humanly possible. He said SKUAST Kashmir is over 40 year old and there is SKUAST Jammu also but still we have dearth of faculty. The Government can create the infrastructure but wherefrom the Human Resources can be made available, he added.
Minister said Government has many schemes and focus is given on live stock including dairy development, mutton production etc. “We have brought high technology breed., We are self sufficient if Dairy and Rs 1434 crore dairy processing programme has been initiated,” he added.
Four processing units are being established two in Jammu and two in Kashmir and seven dairy units have been started. He appealed the Member to withdraw the resolution. However, the MLA pressed the resolution be put to vote which was later defeated through voice vote.
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