Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, Navin Kumar Choudhary today chaired a meeting to discuss setting up of 2 Mega Agro Processing zones and review the status of Food Parks at Kashmir and Jammu Divisions.Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi and a host of other senior functionaries attended the meeting. Threadbare discussions were held to explore all possibilities for early setting up of Agro processing zones and Food Parks in the twin divisions with the intent of promoting the farming activities and providing benefits to the farmers.Director Agriculture Jammu, Inderjeet; Director Industries Jammu, Anu Malhotra; Managing Director JK AGRO and Director Planning Agriculture Department attended the meeting. Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Industries Kashmir and other concerned officers attended the meeting through video conferencing.Director Industries and Commerce, Jammu, informed the meeting about the patches of land available for setting up of Agro Processing Zones in Jammu. He informed about availability of 351 kanal land at Gho Manhasa Jammu and 3791 kanal land at Maand Tikkri, Udhampur besides 3074 kanal land at Serikalan, Khurd, Dhammi and Nagrota.Director Industries, Kashmir also informed that about 200 kanal land at Banderpora, Budgam and 582 kanal land at Pehlipora, Laar Gerderbal has been identified for the setting up of these zones.
It was decided that at Banderpora, Budgam the priority will be given to Agro Processing industry based on flowers and fast perishable Agro/Horticulture based products.The meeting decided that the first Agro Processing Zone will be established on 351 kanal land at Gho Manhasa Jammu and 1000 kanal land would be reserved at Dhami, Nagrota for establishing second Agro Processing Zone in Jammu Province.The meeting further decided that the Directors Industries Jammu/Kashmir will take urgent steps to notify the above mentioned land (s) as Industrial Estate, reserved for Agro Processing Industries and Director Industries Jammu/Kashmir will commence the fencing and developmental work on the same through J&K SIDCO.It was also decided that in respect of Agro Processing Zones, the land would be allotted to prospective entrepreneurs through a Committee comprising of respective Director (s), Industries as Chairman, MD, J&K SIDCO, Director Agriculture and Director Horticulture as Members in the respective Divisions. The meeting also decided that the Financial Commissioner, Revenue will be asked to expedite the transfer of land at Gho Manhasa to Industries and Commerce Department at the earliest.Navin Choudhary stressed upon the concerned authorities to expedite the necessary steps for early setting up of twin Mega Agro Processing zones and Food Parks at Kashmir and Jammu. He said once the projects take off, these will provide employment opportunity to rural populace, generate income and also improve economic condition of the farmers/people and solve the problem of exploitation of farming community.