Dr Jitendra launches ‘Green cultivation’ along Highways, hails Agri StartUp entrepreneurs

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: In what could be a landmark for the country, Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday launched Green cultivation along the National Highways beginning from the Ramban-Banihal section of the Highway in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Minister also hailed the successful genre of Agri StartUps evolving into entrepreneurs. This he said, is in keeping with the priorities followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the last 10 years.
To begin with, lavender cultivation will be undertaken along the Ramban-Banihal stretch of J&K National Highway. Dr Jitendra expressed satisfaction that Agri StartUps turned Agri entrepreneurs have joined hands to plant lavender on either side of the Highway and on its divider over an area of more than one lakh square kilometres.
Dr Jitendra said here today that this unique initiative has manifold objectives.
“It will try to help mitigate the damage caused to the environment by vehicular emissions, prevent road accidents by discouraging pedestrians from crossing the highway, and add to the beautification of the road”, Dr Singh said. This step will not only help reduce pollution and accident proneness on the Highway, but will also promote the agri start-ups involved in the Purple revolution, the Minister added.
Dr Singh said it is heartening to witness that his idea of starting green cultivation on national highways has seen the light of the day. “Today will be remembered for J&K having set a milestone in conserving the environment for times to come”, Dr Singh highlighted.
The Union Minister said that a new era of agri start-ups began in Jammu and Kashmir, with Aroma Mission born in Bhaderwah of district Doda now being talked about the world over. “Purple revolution has served the twin objective of putting both Bhaderwah and J&K on the world man”, the Minister stated, adding that this revolution has now spread to other States, such as Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
“By taking a lead in the Aroma Mission, J&K has exemplified that it would have a significant role as a great contributor to the agri economy of India in the next 25 years in the run-up to a developed India of 2047 as envisioned by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi”, Dr Singh said.
“From mere farmers and agriculturists, lavender cultivators have become brand ambassadors of J&K and proprietors of their increasingly growing companies, earning themselves a name and also making the country proud in foreign lands”, Dr Jitendra said. They are now going to become agri industrialists and agri entrepreneurs, he added.
Earlier, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu entered into understanding with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Anphar Laboratories (P) Limited, JK Aroma Farmers Producer Cooperative Limited and Himalayan Essential Oils Producer Company Limited (HEOPCL) and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with them in presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Dr. Jitendra lauded IIIM’s efforts for its new initiatives to jointly work with industries and agri-entrepreneurs, and also emphasized the importance of such collaborations between Institutions, public sector enterprises, and private companies, in driving innovation and economic growth, in the region.
Earlier, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director, CSIR-IIIM, in his welcome address, mentioned that CSIR-IIIM, Jammu besides doing cutting edge science is equaling involved in the societal mission programmes and activities having national developmental impact.
Among others who were participated in today’s MOUs signing ceremony included P. Siva Sankar, serving as the Regional Officer of NHAI, Anil Gupta, the Managing Director of Anphar Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Bharat Bhushan, Chairman of HEOPCL, and Touqeer Bagban, Founder Director of JK Aroma, Scientific, Technical and Administrative Heads of CSIR-IIIM. Dr. Deepika Singh, Principal Scientist conducted the proceedings and Er. Abdul Rahim, Chief Scientist & RMBD&IST Division, presented the formal vote of thanks.