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| Agri Deptt plans to utilise more land | | Potato farm Gulmarg | | 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 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. |
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