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| Implement Operation Green Scheme as farmers loose subsidy worth crores, alleges AP | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Oct 15: Demanding implementation of Operation Green Scheme (OGS) in letter and spirit across Jammu and Kashmir, Apni Party (AP) on Thursday alleged that lack of will in the government was responsible for loss of subsidy over one thousand crore which was announced by the Government of India (GoI)on transportation of fruit to different mandis in the country.
The AP senior vice president censured the J&K government for failing to take measures to get the mega subsidy package Operation Greens Scheme implemented in letter and spirit on the ground.
Talking to reporters here today Mir also stressed on the need for an early approval of Market Intervention Scheme in view of the distressed situation in the Horticulture sector across Jammu and Kashmir.
He claimed that AP took up the issue of extension of OGS and got major fruits of Kashmir like Apple and Pear covered within its ambit through the union government.
Mir said the Kashmir valley alone exports approximately 1950000 Metric Tonne (MTs) apple to different parts of the country every year which means around 130000 truckloads of apple with carriage charges of Rs 1,20,000 per truck (1000 apple packs with 15000 kgs carried by each truck) is being paid by an ordinary fruit grower in Kashmir.
"If the union government has approved a 50 per cent subsidy on transport charges under OGS, the fruit growers can benefit from this scheme", he said and alleged that "J&K government has totally failed to make the fruit growers understand about the contours of this huge subsidy scheme on transportation charges".
Similarly, he said that Kashmiri growers keep their fruits like apple and pear in cold storage and as per rough estimates there is only 1.5 Lac MTs cold storage space available in the Kashmir valley.
The farmers and fruit growers are paying Rs 1.60 per kg of fruit in cold storage per month, he said adding it means around Rs 24 charges per pack of 15 kgs for a month.
This, former minister Mir said, means Rs 24 Crores are being paid by our fruit growers per month for the cold storage facilities. Under the OGS scheme, they can avail 50 per cent subsidy on this cold storage tariff within and outside J&K also.
Mir urged the J&K government to press into service the field staff of Horticulture and other nodal departments to inform and educate the farmers and fruit growers to avail all the benefits of this subsidy scheme like their counterparts in rest of the country.
He said the apple industry accounts for 84 per cent fruit market size in India and provides employment to around 27 per cent people with lakhs of families in J&K directly or indirectly. However, he alleged that lack of will in the government is impeding its growth and development which consequently impacts J&K's economic index.
He said that last year's weather vagaries and the political instability followed by the strict COVID lockdown restricted the movement of packing material and the packed fruit which resulted in more than 10 Lac MTs of apple produce awaiting sales.
"This dismal situation gets further aggravated by the frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and the unnecessary halts of fruit laden trucks on this road. Consequently the carriage charges become unaffordable for the farmers and this subsidy scheme can come to their rescue.
Referring to the Market Intervention Scheme, he said that since the majority of the fruit growers, this season have not been able to sell their produce, the GoI should announce this scheme without any further delay.
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