Excelsior Correspondent
KARGIL, (Ladakh), Feb 19: A delegation of BJP Unit Kargil today called on Minister for Cooperatives and Ladakh Affairs, Chering Dorjay and apprised him about the issues faced by the people of district Kargil.
Ali Majaz, president BJP Unit Kargil led the delegation. Some of the important matters brought to the notice of Minister included, lifting the ban on export of Apricot.
It said the Apricot export has been banned in 1974 under J&K Pest and Disease Act. Kargil is known as the largest Apricot producing area in the State and have a presence of limited infrastructure in the form of the Fruit Growing and Processing and Marketing Society Ltd Kargil which has been processing local fruit product like Dry Apricot, Apricot Cornel, Apricot oil, Apricot pulp, Apricot jam/ Juice and Beverages. However due to the ban on export about 4000 tones of bitter apricots goes waste every year. The farmers have been demanding lifting of the ban on export of apricot but to no avail. The Minister assured that a solution to this grave problem would be found as soon as possible.
With the aim to benefit the local farmers engaged in Apricot production BJP Unit Kargil has proposed to organise an Apricot Festival under the aegis of the Cooperative Department at Kargil. The festival would enable the tourists to know more about the local culture by taking them to the apricot orchards of Hardass, Batalik, Garkone etc. The Minister assured that, after taking in confidence the people of the apricot villages, the department would surely work in this direction.
The Minister was also requested to take up this issue regarding opening of JKPSC Examination Centre in Kargil with the concerned authorities on priority basis.
It also demanded upgradation of IGNOU Study Centre to Regional Centre for Ladakh. The Minister informed the delegation about sanctioning of around Rs 40 crore under various scheme for district Kargil in addition of the district funds. Giving a detail the Minister said Rs five crore were released under the Special Task Force Program for the district, Rs five crore have been released for the construction of cold storage in the district and Rs three crore each have been released for Kargil and Leh districts under the Prime Minister’s Development Program (PMDP).
The delegation complimented the Minister for the same. The delegation comprised of its Executive Body members and senior members including district Meida Incharge Suffan Jafari, district Organiser Lama Paljor, BJYM State secretary, Mohammad Hassan Pasha and Prabhari BJYM Kargil, BJP senior leader Mohd Qasim, Zakir Zakiri district general secretary, Akhon Niyaz Ali joint secretary, Mohd Ali Khoti casher, BJYM district president Mohd Hussain Baba etc.
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