Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 3: Saffron Growers Association has expressed concern over the non disbursement of incentives among the Saffron growers by the Agriculture Department under Saffron Mission in Pampore tehsil of Pulwama district.
The Association in a meeting here today held under the chairmanship of its president Abdul Samad Bhat said that the delay in payment of incentives has been a cause of concern among the growers of the area. Bhat said though seeds were sown over seven months back the growers have been till date deprived of the incentives admissible under the Mission.
Moreover the settlement of the Saffron land has not been done properly by the Revenue Department as a result the names of genuine owners don’t exist in the settlement list due to which they have been deprived of the incentives till date.
He said over Rs 10 crore which was to be disbursed as incentive among the growers have not been paid to them due to improper settlement made by Revenue Department.
He has made an appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister, Aijaz Ahmed Khan and Revenue Secretary, Vinod Koul to look into the problem and issue orders for rectifying the mistakes in revenue records.
He said that the Department of Agriculture is unable to make payments as the names of real and bonafide owners do not exist in the settlement records of Revenue Department creating a lot of confusion among growers.
He said that Saffron which has been declared as national heritage hence the excavation of earth from the saffron land be banned through a legislation.
Moreover the irrigation facilities be properly provided under the National Saffron Mission to farmers, he added.
The meeting among others was attended by Murawat Hussian Mir member of the Association, Abdul Majid Wani its general secretary, Javed Ahmed Ganai and Ravi Ji Bhat other members.
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