*GI certification of agri products remains distant dream
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 27: Contin-uing to adopt indifferent attitude towards the much-talked about Basmati Cluster Project, the State Government has kept meager funds at the disposal of the Agriculture Department during the current financial year but without any authorization for expenditure as a result of which no major activity could be started on ground till date. Moreover, the Geographical Indication (GI) certification of agriculture products particularly saffron and Basmati to avoid misbranding has remained a distant dream with almost little progress on the same.
The announcement about Basmati Cluster Project was first made in the Agenda of Alliance by the PDP-BJP Coalition Government on March 1, 2015 and thereafter the same was reiterated in the Budget for 2015-16 financial year by the Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu.
Though initially there was no seriousness on translating this announcement into reality, later necessary exercise was initiated to ensure that Basmati village is developed on scientific lines. The proposal for Basmati Cluster Project was received in the Administrative Department of Agriculture Production in the month of September last year and thereafter directions were issued for certain key aspects like the base line survey and technical vetting by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST)-Jammu.
During last financial year, an amount of Rs 20 lakh was released to the Directorate of Agriculture Jammu but that too just few days before March 31, 2016 as a result of which the same could not be spent and had to be returned, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
The project of immense importance for promoting production of Basmati came up for discussion in a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti in the month of April this year and status of release of funds was projected before her by the then Director of Agriculture Department. The Chief Minister immediately directed the Planning and Finance Departments to complete the procedural formalities within shortest possible time and release sufficient funds so that Agriculture Production Depa-rtment initiates exercise on ground, sources said.
Against Rs 5.30 crore total cost of the project to be completed within a period of three years, the Government during the current financial year released an amount of Rs 60 lakh only that too in the recent past, sources informed, adding “most astonishing aspect is that funds albeit meager have been kept at the disposal of Agriculture Department without any formal authorization for expenditure”.
“It is a matter of serious concern that the project which was announced one and half year back is still facing indifferent attitude and none of the Ministers from Jammu region, who otherwise claim to the champion of the cause of this part of the State, has so far bothered to ensure release of sufficient funds along with proper authorization for expenditure”, sources regretted.
Stating that project will get stretched beyond three years due to non-cooperation from relevant quarters in the Government, sources said, “Agriculture Department has made substantial progress in holding interactions with the farmers, preparation of their groups and issuance of Kissan Credit Cards etc”, adding “in the absence of sufficient and timely funds from the Government the Agriculture Department would not be able to meet the deadline for the project reflected in the Detailed Project Report”.
It is pertinent to mention here that around 771.6 hectares of area in three villages of Suchetgarh, Korotana Khurd and Bidhipur Jattan would be covered under the project. A total of 519 farming families-231 of Suchetgarh, 177 of Korotana Khurd and 111 of Bidhipur Jattan would be involved in organic farming, which will be of immense benefit for them as during this exercise focus will be laid on specific interventions for realization of the true market potential of the traditional aromatic Basmati rice.
Meanwhile, the Geographical Indication (GI) certification of agriculture products to avoid misbranding has remained a distant dream with almost little progress on the same despite the issue being repeatedly highlighted in the official statements of the Government.
“Though in the official statements of the Government, it is claimed that agriculture products have been identified for being brought under GI certification but concerned officers of the Agriculture Department in both the regions are unaware of such products”, sources said, adding “this itself is an indication of half-hearted approach towards this imperative exercise”.
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