Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 31: The Minster for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura wants the state to be agriculturally self dependent. He was interacting with the farmers at Assar village. For the information of the minister, the neglected state cannot be agriculturally self reliant now, thanks to land grabbers who enjoy official patronage and an indifferent bureaucracy that allows construction on agrarian land. A vegetable grower from Budgam district told Early Times that the state used to earn around Rs 100 cr on export of vegetables from June to October. However, according to him, the state is losing precious land to official-grabber nexus and the cultivable land is shrinking with every passing day. "The nexus is not even sparing the paddy fields," he said. The grower was critical of the role of the government. 'Besides patronising the land grabbers, the government officials supply defective seeds, sub-standard insecticides/pesticides and manures,' he said adding "It seems the government is all out to kill agriculture activities in the state." |
