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| Horticulture Sector to suffer major jolt | | Ring Road to claim 5000 apple trees | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 17: At a time when Prime Minister formally inaugurated Srinagar Ring Road recently , sources have told Early Times that more than 5000 apple trees will be chopped off on 42 kms stretch from Pampore to Sumbal area alone which will have serious economic implications in almost 2 dozen villages in J&K...
PM Modi during his speech said that Ring Roads in Jammu and Srinagar will make lives of people better as it will decrease traffic congestion in Srinagar but policy makers have not thought what would be the impact of proposed Ring Road on state's agri based economy.
"On one hand Government asks youth to opt for agriculture and horticulture related entrepreneurship programmes as there are limited Government jobs available. On the other hand those people who have already got settled by setting up apple or other fruit orchards are being asked to axe down their fully grown trees to pave way for the Ring Road. In return these affected farmers / entrepreneurs are paid very meager compensation.
Let me reiterate that it is not only agriculture land that is going to be acquired or has already been acquired at many places in Pulwama , Budgam , Srinagar , Baramulla , Bandipora and Ganderbal districts but large chunk of horticulture land having more than 5000 fully grown apple trees, pear and plum trees has also been acquired by the Government which will be chopped off within a month or two " said Ghulam Ahmad Tantray an aggrieved farmer from Ranbair Garh a village located in Srinagar outskirts
"The formula adopted by horticulture department whole making assessments is totally vague and obsolete. The compensation is paid as per the yield of the tree and is multiplied by Rs 16 / Kg for apple. I ask people to show me a fruit vendor who sells good quality apple @ Rs 16 / Kg ? This is the rate which was fixed in the year 1995 and during last 23 years the rate has not at all been revised? At many places officials of Horticulture department made assessment of fruit trees when the fruit was already harvested.
This happened in Wathoora Budgam area where fully grown Plum trees (19-25 years) were shown to yield mere 15 kgs of fruit per tree ie One Peti (large box) only, while as the reality is that these trees fetch more than 15 to 20 petis per tree ie 225 to 250 kgs of fruit. The rate fixed by Government for making assessment of Plum is Rs 13 /kg which is 6 to 7 times less than the market rate. The poor farmer is the ultimate sufferer " said another farmer Fayaz Ahmad
Affected farmers have appealed Govt to make reassessment of the fruit bearing trees and avoid unnecessary axing of apple trees in affected villages. |
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