STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday said the quality of education in Kashmir Valley was severely affected due to the exodus of the Pandit community from the region at the onset of militancy in 1990.
According to a Srinagar based news agency, speaking at a function here at SKICC wherein High Density Apple Plantation was formally inaugurated by the state dispensation, the Chief Minister reiterated that peace is inevitable for development of Jammu and Kashmir and that it is vital that the people of Kashmir Valley should understand the essence of peace for prosperity and growth.
Mehbooba Mufti said that it was the exodus of the Pandit community from Kashmir valley during the inception of militancy that quality education in this land-locked region remained a distant dream.
She said Jammu region of the state is excelling in education as Pandits, who since centuries are great teachers instilled their learning to the people of Jammu while as Kashmir valley got deprived of such noble souls and great teachers. “This is the reason that today we are witnessing the quality education in Jammu region flourishing while it is a herculean task to put it back on track here in Kashmir,” the Chief Minister said.
Mehbooba Mufti added; “I have been taught by a Pandit teacher like most of the people of our generation. I can tell you with certainty that Pandits are really the great teachers and it is their contribution to the state that it has renowned medicos, academicians and people who have proved their mettle in their respective fields,” Chief Minister stated.
While hailing horticulturists of Kashmir Valley at the launch of high density apple plantation, Mehbooba said the sector merits attention of the government and that late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was keen to develop the sector at par with the international standards. Pertinently, former Revenue Minister Syed Basharat Bukhari resigned from the cabinet over reportedly being accorded with the Horticulture portfolio.
Mehbooba, while subtly hinting at retaining the Horticulture portfolio to herself, she said that the horticulture ministry is equally important to her as it was to late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “This is the very important ministry and I am very serious at developing state’s horticulture sector. I would ask JK Bank to open more branches in the areas wherein horticulture is witnessing a new boom and also deduct the rate of interest at which loan is accorded to the horticulturalists,” she added.
Earlier, terming horticulture as the backbone of State’s economy, the Chief Minister exuded confidence that the sector has the potential to get the socio economic profile of Jammu and Kashmir change for better. She also directed slapping of Public Safety Act (PSA) against the dealers found conclusively involved in adulteration or selling of spurious pesticides and fungicides in the State.
Addressing a largely attended gathering of fruit growers and progressive farmers here on Saturday after formally launching the High Density Apple Plantation Scheme, she said with a huge market demand and massive scope for potential realisation, horticulture industry has the capacity to change the fortunes of not only the farming community but the entire State with its cascading benefits. She said it is a matter of satisfaction that horticulture industry sustained the economy of the State, much ahead of other sectors, during the last three decades of difficult times.
She said under the scheme 50 per cent subsidy would be provided by the Government to the farmers and mega Mandis and CA stores would be set up in the State, at Jablipora in Anantnag and Aglar in Pulwama in first stage, besides establishment of e-markets for the online sale of the produce. Additionally, she said, the Khadi and Village Industries Board has launched a scheme under which 40 per cent subsidy would be provided for setting up of cardboard fruit box manufacturing units.
The Chief Minister said already the government has launched a Market Intervention Scheme to stabilise the rates of apple produce and benefit growers. She said a network of Mandis is being laid to maximize direct interface between growers and buyers.
The Chief Minister asked the J&K Bank authorities to slash down further the interest rates on the credit to be given to farmers under the scheme. The Chief Minister directed the Horticulture Department to pace up the setting up of fruit Mandis and CA stores as envisioned in the scheme. She announced that the current year would be observed as the year of Apple to position the fruit industry in the mainstream of the State’s economic discourse.
Chairman, JK Bank, Parvez Ahmad in his address assured all support in the successful execution of the scheme. He said a dedicated team of officers would be deployed at the headquarters of the Bank to monitor the successful implementation of the scheme.