x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Sajad Lone blames NC for bringing AFSPA to J&K | Surgery at private hospital sends patient to ventilator | Special Judge Bala Jyoti sends Patwari, chowkidar to 13 day judicial remand | Given political will, aerospace power can be used beyond enemy lines: IAF Chief | Money looted from poor in Bengal will be returned to them: PM Modi | Rajnath to address Army Commanders conference | Bird species on rise in J&K | ACB books MC officials | Blast in Poonch: 2 suspects detained | Kashmir braces up for wet spell | Missing Person traced out and reunited with family after 14 Years by Police Post Belicharna | Refresher Training course for AROs of District Anantnag held | BJP firm on AFSPA revocation, NC need not to raise fingers: Kavinder | Jammu Police felicitates vigilant citizen for installing CCTV , helping solve crime | Congress responsible for J&K turmoil: Rana | Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi initiates restoration efforts at historic Pather Masjid in Srinagar | IndiGo to double in size, fly to more global destinations by 2030: CEO | Envoys of 5 nations present credentials to President Murmu | Case against man for spreading rumour on social media in Pulwama: Police | Transporters in Jammu call one-day strike against operations of e-buses | 8 more candidates file nomination for Udhampur Lok Sabha seat | West Bengal resident among 3 drug peddlers arrested in Kashmir | NC will repeat 1977 victory against BJP, its subsidiary parties: Omar | "Our Import Dependencies Need To Be Near Zero": Army Chief lays thrust on self-reliance in military production | HC refuses to quash FIR in Insurance Scam | DB imposes costs Rs 20000/- for misleading Court with a view to get favorable order | DB holds courts cannot encourage appointments made outside constitutional scheme | DGP sanctions scholarships of over Rs 12.90 lakh in favour of 223 wards of police personnel | BSF seizes 2 drones near India-Pak border in Tarn Taran | Punjab | ED conducts raids in case linked to guava orchards compensation 'Scam' | J&K's Ex-Governor N N Vohra welcomes Shah's statement on troops withdrawal, AFSPA | Sadanand Vasant Date: 26/11 hero becomes new NIA chief | Natrang celebrates World Theatre Day with three day festival | SSP conducts introductory meeting with senior citizens to address community concerns | Police traces out missing youth, reunited with family | Two drug peddlers apprehended with 4.78 grms of heroin | RPFC leads "Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0" awareness drive at GDC Kathua | Civil Defence organises awareness programme | Cyberl Cell solves online financial fraud of Rs 50000 | Bovine smuggling attempts foiled, 08 bovines rescued in Tikri | Ramban police arrests 03 bovine smugglers | Vi Launches Vi Movies & TV: Ultimate entertainment App with Multi-Platform Access, Comprehensive Content Library | Missing person reunited with family by Kana Chak police efforts | Workshop on Saral Manak Sanskrit concluded by Cental Sanskrit University | GDC Kunjwani honors Shivaansh Kapoor | Aryabhatta Ganit Challenge 2023-24: Illuminating Mathematical Brilliance | Govt SPMR College of Commerce celebrates World Theatre Day | Government Degree College Kathua organizes expert talk | GDC Ramnagar organizes seven days' special winter camp | GDC Hiranagar hosts impact lecture and training program | GDC Dudu Basantgarh raises awareness on drug abuse | PM Shri Govt Higher Secondary School Bhalra empowers youth with SVEEP programme | Back Issues  
 
news details
Agri Deptt plans to utilise more land
Potato farm Gulmarg
4/22/2018 10:28:47 PM
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Apr 22: Agriculture Department, as per reliable sources is planning to utilize several acres of land this season to grow potatoes at its Potato Farm which consists of more than 450 kanals.
Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) as per sources will be providing organic compost for growing potatoes. As reported already, out of 450 kanals of land mere 5 kanals of land was put into use by the department.
Agriculture Department has a huge farm of 450 kanals (70 acres plus ) which was meant to grow high class Potatos. The Farm in Gulmarg had become a white elephant on state exchequer as out of 450 kanals of land allocated to potato farm mere 5 to 6 kanals of land is being used for potato cultivation and rest of the land is un utilized inspite of being highly fertile.
As reported in its March 10th report this year Government owned potato cultivation farm at Gulmarg was allocated around 70 acres (450 kanls plus) of land several decades back. Reliable sources have revealed that mere 5 to 6 kanals are put into use as the employees of agriculture department who are posted there are not ready to work.
Sources say that salary paid to employees of the potato farm is much higher than the revenue generated from the sale of potatoes. Proper accommodation is also available for the employees but due to lack of supervision from district office and local sub division office the whole farm is in shambles. Sources say that matter has been taken very seriously and from this year Govt plans to cultivate potatoes on large scale in Gulmarg and Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) will be supplying organic compost to the department for the potato farm. The compost is locally made from bio degradable waste generated in Gulmarg which is processed by GDA from last 3 months.
In a similar case Early Times had exposed the official mismanagement in District Horticulture Office Budgam last year . The department of horticulture according to official information spent more than Three Crores and Fifty lakhs (Rs 3.50 Crore) on the salary of its 10 member staff posted in its fruit plant nursery cum orchard at Gopalpora from 2000 to 2016 , but coul
ET Impact
only generate revenue of mere Sixteen Lakh thirty three thousand seven hundred and fifteen rupees (Rs 16,33,715).
The 90 kanal Fruit Plant Nursery cum Orchard is in shambles at Gopalpora in central Kashmir's Budgam district. The orchard has become a cesspool due to official mismanagement and mis-governance. Information sought under Right to Information Act (a copy of which lies with Early Times) reveals that 10 employees are posted in this nursery which includes one Senior Technician, 2 Horticulture Technicians (Grade II & IV) , 3 Gardeners and One Chowkidar. The monthly salary of these employees amounts to Rs 3 lakhs at an average and every year Govt spends Rs 36 lakhs on the salary of these ten employees. At an average if the salary for last 15 years is calculated @ Rs 23 lakhs per year , the total amount spent on salary of these 10 employees amounts to more than 3.50 Crore, while as on an average mere Rs 50,000 to 60,000 has been generated as revenue by the Horticulture department from this nursery from the sale of fruit plants and fruits. The fruits grown in the orchard (apple , pear, plum etc) has been sold @ mere Rs 20,000 at an average from 2001 to 2016.
" Apple / cherry growers in the nearby villages earn Rs 70,000 to 1 lakh every year from 1 to 2 kanals of land , how is it possible that mere Rs 20,000 to 30,0000 at an average would have been generated as revenue from a 90 kanal orchard at Gopalpora ? The officials posted in Gopalpora nursery should be jailed and dismissed from service for this mis-management. I have only seen few gardeners in this nursery who are the locals , and other 5 to 6 officials are hardly seen in the nursery / orchard " says Ghulam Mohiudin Dar an apple grower from nearby Nagam village
Sources say that employees of Potato farm Gulmarg are also not ready to work and the Agriculture Department is a mute spectator to this mis-management. Some local residents from Tangmarg while talking to Early Times have appealed Agriculture Minister to outsource the farm to a group of unemployed educated youth who can not only generate revenue for the Government , but will also earn dignified livelihood for themselves.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU