- Says every household will plant 10 fruit saplings this year in 3 Kotranka villages
JAMMU: In order to make his constituency a Horticulture Zone, Former Minister and Member Legislative Assembly Darhal Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali has decided to launch Green Constituency Mission by involving public in growing of fruit plants. This year a target of plantation of 18000 plants have been set and 3 villages have been chosen for the same.
With a mission of uplifting socio economic status of people and providing them opportunities of employment through creation of new enterprises, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali held meeting with Director Horticulture Jammu AK Sharma regarding scope of fruit plantation in Budhal and Darhal area of Rajouri district.
In the meeting Zulfkar decided to make his constituency Horticulture Zone and model constituency for creating avenue of employment in the Horticulture sector. He said that although he want to start Horticulture activities in whole constituency yet this year he has planned to adopt 3 villages viz Hubbi, Targain and Kanthol in which he floated an idea that every household will plant only 10 fruit plants per year by ensuring 100 percent survival rate. He said that he has calculated about 18000 families in these 3 villages and he need technical and logistic help from Horticulture department to initiate this project.
To contemplate the idea on ground, he held in-dept deliberations with Director Horticulture who assured every support in making the idea a reality. Zulfkar desired to initiate this mission from the current year and then extend the same to other villages of his constituency.
Expressing his desire to make his area a model area for cultivation of fruit plants, Zulfkar said that the area has great potential in Horticulture because climate condition is temperate and favourable for various fruit plants. He said that if he succeeded in survival of these plants, he will extend the idea to other village and make whole constituency a Horticulture zone in the state.
‘’I want to link up Horticulture to employment and when the idea starts running, it will surely create opportunities of employment in the area@, he said adding that first thrust will be put on plantation and then they will shift attention towards marketing of fruits. He suggested Horticulture department to supply Walnut, Peacan Nuts and Apricot plants this year so that to initiate work on the project. He said that scope will be extended to Apple, Pear, Kiwi and stone fruits in the coming years and the idea will be popularize so that plantation must become habit of the people.
He however stressed upon Horticulture department to ensure quality of plants to be supplied for plantation so that there may be 100 percent survival rate. He said that a certificate of quality should be given by the Horticulture department and there should be proper monitoring of the survival of plants. Meanwhile Zulfkar said that Rs 100 crore rupees has been earmarked for Horticulture in whole Rajouri District whereas project proposal of 5 years perspective plan of Walnut Village and Apricot village is being prepared which will help in starting new era of Horticulture development in the constituency.