JAMMU, MAY 05: Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Navin Kumar Choudhary today conduct a meeting at Civil Secretariat Jammu to discuss regarding setting up of 2 Mega Agro Processing zone and status of Food Parks at Kashmir and Jammu Division besides Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi was also present on the occasion.
Threadbare discussions were held on to explore all possibilities for early setting up of Agro processing zone and Food Parks in both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory with the intend of growing the farming activities and providing benefits to the farmers community.
Director, Agriculture Jammu, Inderjeet, Director Industries Jammu, Anu Malhotra, Managing Director JK AGRO and Director Planning Agriculture Department, while as Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Industries Kashmir and other concerned officers attended the meeting through video conferencing.
Director Industries and Commerce Jammu informed the meeting about the patches of land is available for setting up of Agro Processing Zones in Jammu. It was informed that 351 kanals of land at Gho Manhasa Jammu and 3791 kanals of land at Maand Tikkri, Udhampur besides 3074 kanals of land at Serikalan, Khurd, Dhammi and Nagrota.
Director Industries, Kashmir also informed about 200 kanals of land at Banderpora, Budgam and 582 kanals of land at Pehlipora, Laar Gerderbal have been identified for the setting up of these zones. It was also decided that the priority to be given to Agro Processing industry based on flowers and fast perishable Agro/Horticulture based products at Banderpora, Budgam.
The meeting was decided that the first Agro Processing Zone will be established in 351 kanals of land at Gho Manhasa Jammu and it was futher decided that at least 1000 kanals of land will be reserved at Dhami, Nagrota for establishing second Agro Processing Zone in Jammu Province.
The meeting was decided that the Director Industries Jammu/Kashmir will take urgent steps to notify the above mentioned land (s) as Industries Estate, reserved for Agro Processing Industries and Director Industries Jammu/Kashmir will commence the fencing and developmental work on above said land (s) through J&K SIDCO.
It was also decided that in respect of Agro Processing Zones, the land would be allotted to perspective entrepreneurs through a Committee comprising of respective Directors (S), Industries as Chairman, MD, J&K SIDCO as Member and Director Agriculture and Horticulture as Members in respective Divisions. The meeting was also decided that the Financial Commissioner, Revenue will be requested to expedite the transfer of land at Gho Manhasa to Industries and Commerce Department at the earliest.
Navin Choudhary stressed upon the concerned authorities to expedite the necessary steps for early setting up of 2 Mega Agro Processing unit and Food Parks Kashmir and Jammu so that once to complete of these projects to provide employment opportunity to rural populace, generate income and also improve economic condition of the farmers/people and solve the problem of exploration of farming community.
They said that farmers could be assured for better price for their produces encourage for bringing more and more area under various crops increase agriculture production. He said that transportation cost of agriculture can be minimized thereby help to minimize cost of finished goods.(KNB)