Jammu & Kashmir on path to touch new heights of success, says L-G; announces new schemes

The projects which were approved by the administrative council for agriculture have an outlay of Rs 5013 crore over the next 5 years

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday said that it was his government’s resolve to fulfill the aspirations of the people and the union territory (UT) moves forward to touch new heights of success

While announcing three new schemes in the UT during a press conference in Jammu, he said, “I am sure that the future of J&K will be a role model for the whole country in its agricultural practices and prosperous farming community.”

The schemes - holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors, aspirational towns development programme and aspirational panchayat development programme have been approved by the administrative council, chaired by the L-G.

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On the agricultural scheme, Sinha said, “Having gone through the contents of the projects that have been cleared by the committee and their expected outputs and outcomes, I am confident that a new revolution in the agriculture and allied sectors of the UT is on the anvil. J&K is determined to move forward to touch new heights of success.”

The projects which were approved by the administrative council for agriculture have an outlay of Rs 5013 crores over the next five years. These projects are expected to transform the agriculture economy of J&K putting it on a new trajectory of growth, doubling the output of the sectors, boosting exports and making the sectors sustainable & commercially viable.

“These 29 projects will almost double the output of the sectors, boosting exports and making the sectors sustainable and commercially viable. These gains shall be equitable, reaching the last person in the pyramid and ecologically sustainable through efficient use of bio-resources for food, feed & industry,” the L-G said.

He said the agricultural output which stands at Rs 37600 crores shall increase by over Rs 28,142 crore to reach more than Rs 65700 crores per year, with a resultant increment in sectoral growth rate to 11 per cent.

“The interventions shall create employment opportunities for over 2.8 lakh youth and establish around 19,000 enterprises. More than 2.5 lakh persons shall be skilled in various agri-enterprises ranging from seed production, precision farming of vegetables, bee-rearing, cocoon production, mushroom farming, integrated & organic agriculture, high-density fruit farming to processing, dairying, sheep & poultry farming as well as fodder production. In the next five years the UT shall have a motivated workforce with agri-entrepreneurial skills in a commercially viable and ecologically sustainable agri-ecosystem,” Sinha added.

On the panchayat scheme, he said the most backward 285 panchayats (one per block) will be selected for their holistic development. “These aspirational panchayats shall be developed through convergence of various ongoing district / UT schemes and Centrally sponsored schemes.”

Under the aspirational towns development programme, the Urban Reform Incentive Fund (URIF) will be utilised to incentivize undertaking of reforms in municipalities, and the assessment framework for their rating