Principal Secretary, School Education and Skill Development, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon Tuesday reviewed the progress on establishment of Farm Institutes at ITI Khuri Batpora, Kulgam and ITI R S Pura, Jammu.

Director, Skill Development; Director, Agriculture Kashmir; Director, Animal Husbandry, Kashmir; Director, Floriculture Kashmir; Director, Finance Skill Development were present in the meeting besides Director, Animal Husbandry, Jammu; Director, Floriculture and Gardens Jammu and senior officers of concerned departments participated through video conferencing in the meeting.

The Principal Secretary stressed upon the introduction of courses with regard to cultivation and marketing of world famous Basmati rice of R S Pura, besides others agriculture section viz Dairy, Horticulture and Floriculture based long and short term courses.

After consideration of suggestions from various participants and departments, it was decided that to introduce courses in Dairying, Technician Smart Agriculture, Soil Testing and Crops Technician, Floriculture-Protected Cultivation, Agriculture Extension Service, Dairy Entrepreneur, Basmati Rice Marketing, Mechanic Agriculture Machineries, Beekeeper, Gardener etc.

The meeting also decided that the concerned department will formulate the Syllabus for the courses same is not available with the department of skill development.

Later, the Principal Secretary also conducted a meeting with senior officers of Skill Development department regarding the scholarships being offered by AICTE to girl students and specially-abled students in Skill sector.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the Private School Association met with Dr Samoon and highlighted their issues being faced by them.

Apni Party urges LG to intervene for hassle-free movement of fruits, vegetable trucks in J&K

Srinagar, Sep 22: Apni Party spokesman and former legislator Javid Hassan Baig on Tuesday solicited the intervention of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to facilitate a hassle free movement of fruit and vegetable laden trucks on Srinagar-Jammu national highway so as to prevent further losses to the horticulture sector in Kashmir.

In a statement, Baig said that since the fruit industry in Kashmir has already suffered huge losses since August last year’s political upheaval coupled with the prevailing pandemic, the J&K’s law enforcement agencies must now stop inflicting more miseries on the traders associated with this vital sector of economy.

“The fruit industry in Kashmir is already severely sick. Frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway, law and order situation, COVID-19 pandemic and now the new suffering of enforced halts of fruit laden trucks on Srinagar-Jammu highway reflect nefarious designs of some vested interests to shatter Kashmir’s already ailing economy,” Baig said.

He said the protests staged by the traders of Asia’s largest fruit mandi Sopore corroborates the facts that the fruits industry is being unnecessarily harassed by the law enforcement agencies in J&K rather than facilitating it in achieving the new scales.

“The Lt. Government must order a high level inquiry into the complaints of fruit traders and the people associated with this industry particularly the fruit and vegetable laden truck drivers who are being compelled to halt on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway without any rhyme or reason,” he urged.

Baig said that fruit traders in Kashmir have already faced losses of over Rs 13,000 crores after the abrogation of Article 370 last year and due to unnecessary stoppage of fruit-laden trucks by police at several places along Srinagar-Jammu highway.

“Since the fruit and vegetables are perishable items and have small shelf life. The government must intervene and ensure hassle free movement of fruits and vegetables from Kashmir valley to other parts of the country for their timely sale,” he demanded.