Agriculture Action Plan of Rs 109.35 Cr approved

NL Correspondent

Srinagar:  Government on Friday admitted that Agriculture sector in Jammu and Kashmir has faced neglect in last 40 years thus resulting in the declining of the overall crop production.

Minister for Finance Dr. Haseeb A Drabu on the behalf of the government informed the Lower House that the state has witnessed 40 percent decline in the agriculture share to GDP of Jammu and Kashmir in last four decades.

“It is truth that the agriculture growth has been negligible in the state over the years. But the problem has been from last 40 years and now the agriculture share to GDP of Jammu and Kashmir  has declined by 40 percent in last 40 years,” he said.

Drabu was replying to a question by Congress legislator and MLA Leh Nawang Rigzin Jora who had sought government's response over the negligible growth in agriculture sector.

Jora had said that state government had not demanded anything for the farming community of the state under Prime Minister's package.

“The state government has left farmers to fend for themselves as they have not kept anything for them under prime Ministers Fund,” he said.

Jora earlier said that the agriculture growth in the state has been zero adding it was facing official neglect.

Drabu in his reply said that the agriculture plan has focused on various components including developing of infrastructure and inviting public investment.

“We are focusing in improving the Irrigation and land development beside public investment to promote the agriculture sector to ensure increase in agriculture share to GDP of the state,” he said.

A proposed Agriculture Action Plan worth Rs 109.35 crore has been approved

Meanwhile, an official spokesperson here said the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) headed by Chief Secretary, B R Sharma today accorded sanction to the proposed Agriculture Action Plan worth Rs. 109.35 Crore for the current fiscal year under Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and the National Mission on Saffron (NMS) in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The proposed allocation under RKVY (Normal) is Rs 37 crore and under the National Mission on Saffron, allocation is to the tune of Rs 72.35 crore. The sanctioned plan will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Agriculture for release of funds,” he said.

While reviewing the progress of implementation of the scheme, Chief Secretary called upon Agriculture Department to undertake evaluation/field studies of RKVY impact, both in terms of addressing field level infrastructural gaps and also benefits that have accrued to the farmers in the form of yield and returns.