Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar today chaired the 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 62nd Board of Directors (BoDs) meeting of Jammu and Kashmir Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd. (JKHPMC) at Civil Secretariat here.
The AGM was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo, Secretary in APD, Mohammad Akbar Wani, Managing Director, JKHPMC, Shafat Sultan, Shareholders of the Corporation and senior officers of APD.
During the AGM in-depth deliberations were held on the pending audit of the Corporation besides various issues pertaining to the development projects taken in hand by the Corporation.Speaking during the AGM, Advisor Bhatnagar highlighted that the Corporation has unique characteristics of providing services to the fruit growers both in pre and post-harvest segments of the horticulture sector.
He highlighted that the government during the last three years has extended generous support to the Corporation which was otherwise reeling under acute financial crisis and as a consequence, the Corporation has embarked on a revival trajectory.
The Advisor urged the Corporation management to hold regular interactions with its Shareholders as well as the fruit growers so that focused technological interventions are adopted for sustainable solutions in the horticulture sector.
The AGM on the occasion adopted the audited accounts of the Corporation for the Financial Years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.Speaking during the AGM, Atal Dulloo stressed upon the management of the Corporation to complete the Audit for the remaining period of five years in a time bound manner.
The Shareholders speaking on the occasion appreciated the union agriculture ministry for establishing Apple Cluster in Shopian and expressed satisfaction that the implementation of the ministry’s cluster development programme in the district in the coming four years could transform the apple landscape of the district.
Meanwhile, Advisor Bhatnagar also chaired the 62nd Board of Directors (BoDs) meeting of JKHPMC at Civil Secretariat here.The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Department (APD), Atal Dulloo, Administrative Secretary Planning & Development Department, Rajiv Langer, Secretary in APD, Mohammad Akbar Wani, Managing Director, JKHPMC, Shafat Sultan, Director Codes, Finance Department, Director Agriculture Kashmir, Director Horticulture Kashmir, Director Horticulture Planning and Marketing, senior officers of APD and JKHPMC.
During the meeting, the BoDs held detailed deliberations on various development projects of the Corporation both under execution as well as the ones being implemented during the current financial year under capex.
Speaking during the BoDs meeting, Advisor Bhatnagar impressed upon the JKHPMC management that there should be no delay in the commissioning of projects being established by the Corporation under ODOP scheme of the ministry of food processing industries, GoI, so that the connected stakeholders benefit from the facility.
He also advised MD, JKHPMC to ensure completion of 2000 MT cold store, 120 MT onions & potatoes pack house, agri-mall in Narwal food cluster Jammu and 40 MT apple pack house, Mazbug, Doabgah, Sopore by end of Dec, 2022
The Advisor on the occasion also appreciated the management of the Corporation for putting in place a holistic revival plan for making the Corporation self-sustainable in the coming years.Speaking during the meeting, Atal Dulloo instructed MD JKHPMC to formulate a comprehensive policy on the development of clusters across J&K for products like milk, trout, walnut & wool.
He emphasized that the said policy would be devised on the analogy and business model of the union ministry of Agriculture’s cluster development programme, under which an apple cluster is being developed in Shopian district.
He informed the Advisor that the policy would necessitate approval of the UT’s Administrative Council for replication in J&K and would entail minimal J&K govt. financial grant.During the meeting, the BoDs also took some significant policy decisions with regard to the internal resources of the Corporation and their productive utilization.
The Board approved to amend the Memorandum of Association (MoA) of JKHPMC and include all Agricultural and Animal products into it so that the Corporation can widen its mandate, scope of work and operations.
The Board also approved JKHPMC’s Brand Registration under the “Trade Mark Act” as also its Brand logo, with the punch line ‘Direct from Kashmir ' for maximizing the Corporation’s marketing network and reach.
Similarly, the Board also approved the Statutory Audited accounts of the Corporation for the financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 and directed the management of the Corporation to submit the same to the CAG at an earliest.
During the BoDs meeting, MD JKHPMC, Shafat Sultan gave a detailed presentation on the progress and performance of the Corporation. He informed the Board that the Corporation is currently executing various post-harvest infra projects like establishment of pack houses, food clusters, common incubation centres, cold chain infra like CA stores, cluster development programme of NHB etc.
In the cold chain infra, he informed that the Corporation is establishing two CA stores of 5000 MT capacity one each at Behrampora, Baramulla & Rambirpora, Anantnag, besides one 2500 MT CA Store at Dobagah, Sopore.
The MD further informed the Board that the Corporation is in the process of outsourcing its card board carton unit at Sopore, apple juice plant at Doabgah Sopore and three common incubation centres, one each at Baramulla, Anantnag and Narwal-Jammu.