Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Minister for Horticulture, Housing, Culture, Youth Services and Sports, Raman Bhalla today visited various areas of Kashmir valley and assessed losses to fruit production caused due to flash floods and heavy rains.
Secretary Horticulture and Floriculture Sanjeev Verma, Director Horticulture Planning and Marketing Showkat Ahmed Zargar, Director Horticulture P K Sharma, Managing Director JK Housing Board Ram Pal Sharma, President Fruit Merchant Association Sopore Fayaz Ahmed Malik besides Chief Horticulture Officers and District Horticulture Officers accompanied the Minister.
Mr. Bhalla directed the officers to pay visit to their respective areas and assess losses of the fruit production and submit the same to the higher authorities for providing compensation under norms fixed by the Government. He also directed them to provide transport services and cardboard boxes for packing of seasoned fruit of the Kashmir valley as they are demanded. He asked the officers to extend all sorts of facilities to them so that they do not feel any inconvenience.
The Minister directed the officers of Horticulture Department for producing quality fruit for registering record marketing of the product in national and international markets.
Mr. Bhalla said all efforts are being made to facilitate the traders with improved facilities by constructing kiosks, earth filling of waste land, installation of plasma screens which highlighting the prevailing prices in the country.
The Minister said Government was endeavoring a lot to encourage farmers for plantation of high-quality fruit trees to fetch optimum returns. He asked to make all the departmental nurseries fully functional and plant high quality fruit plants for better production of state’s produce.
He said various centrally sponsored schemes are meant for the farmers with an aim to improve their living standard. He appealed the farmers to come forward and take advantage of these schemes.
The Minister directed the officers to provide hi-yielding varieties of plants to the farmers and said that there will be no compromise on quality of the material being provided to the needy persons. He directed them to sensitize the farmers about the latest technologies of science so that the same could percolate to the growers in the field.
Earlier, the President of fruit growers association, Sopore Fayaz Ahmed Malik apprised the Minister about various problems confronting them due to flash floods and heavy rains.
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