The Union Cabinet’s decision to provide Rs 500 crore from PM’s Development package for Jammu and Kashmir would work as a booster dose for rehabilitating the fledgling sector of farming. At the same time, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved one-time relaxation of “Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)” cost norms for implementation of PM’s package for Jammu and Kashmir. The pro-farmer decision taken is also in keeping with the series of measures announced by the Modi government with particular emphasis on the welfare of the farmers, agriculturists and horticulturists. The Cabinet decision will benefit over 21,000 apple growers and apple orchards located in more than 491 villages of Jammu and Kashmir who have faced huge losses in the aftermath of the floods. What is intriguing is the allocation of relief for the damages caused in 2014 floods. What happened during the interregnum? Did not orchards produce any crop? Politics on flood have been a boon for Kashmir which keeps the governments in Centre and state at ransom. It may be recalled that soon after floods hit the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 2014, Prime Minister had personally visited the State and announced Rs. 570 crore under Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for providing assistance to affected families. The government has also been working on post-flood long-term reconstruction measures. Considering this, the Prime Minister had on his visit to Jammu and Kashmir in November last year announced J&K Development Package of Rs. 80,000 crore. Creating sustainable horticulture with adequate cold storage and warehousing facilities for the growers and market reachability through dedicated logistical infrastructure should be the aim and which can come as a big boon for the farmers to get the better process for their produce and not look towards governments for every time. Farmers in other parts of the country too have been facing the wrath of flood and rain for generations but never made such hue and cry over the damage and neither the governments of the day ever announced such lucrative relief bonus after a gap of three or four years. Is it not a part of appeasing politics?
