Peerzada takes marathon review of Floriculture Deptt Says New Parks, Gardens being developed Rs 20.24 Crore expended on States’ 464 Parks, Gardens last fiscal SRINAGAR, JULY 9:- Saying that the State has ample floriculture potential, Minister for Floriculture, Haj Auqaf and Public Enterprises Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed exhorted for sensitizing youth about its scope and benefits and adopting floriculture as a profession to take advantage of a flourishing industry. This was stated by the Minister while chairing a meeting convened to review the functioning of Floriculture Department here today. Minister of State for Floriculture Mr. Nazir Ahmad Gurezi was also present in the meeting. Addressing the meeting, the Minister highlighted the importance of floriculture industry, saying that it has emerged as a fast growing industry and registered tremendous growth during the past decades, extending its ambit worldwide. He asked for encouraging commercial floriculture utilising modern techniques popular in the sector, adding that this cash crop can give very high returns. The Minister while reviewed progress of parks and garden stressed for timely completion of all works. He also directed the concerned for mobilizing men and machinery of the department at District level for supervising, monitoring the maintenance of parks besides sensitizing the youth by organizing awareness camps and workshops regarding the benefits of schemes under floriculture sector. Taking serious note of the scarcity of irrigation water at Kaniar Park, Budgam, which has been developed on 265 kanals of land on the pattern of Mughal Gardens, the Minister said that bore-wells be also dug for augmenting the need. The Minister said that for imparting training to new entrants and upgrading Skill Development of existing Mali Staff of the Department, the existing Mali Training Institutes (MTI) of the State would be revived. The new entrants selected for the training would be provided monthly honorarium, he maintained. Peerzada directed the concerned for giving further face-lift to Mughal Gardens, Chashma Shahi and other important gardens in view of the international event “Concert for Peace” to be organised in the Month of September in which world renowned musicians are likely to participate. The meeting was informed that there are 464 parks and gardens spread over 9911 kanals of land in the state on which Rs. 2024 lakh were expended for maintenance and upkeep during last fiscal. Giving brief account of the activities of the Department, Commissioner Secretary Floriculture Mr. Farooq Ahmad Factoo said besides establishment of 38 nurseries in private sector with an expenditure of Rs. 22.16 lakh, 16 walk in cold rooms with the expenditure of Rs. 202 lakh have also been established in various districts for preservation of flowers under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). One flower Mandi by expending Rs. 112.71 lakh was also established at Rajbagh under RKVY with the aim to provide facilities to the progressive flower growers of marketing, preservation, cold storage and transportation of flower goods from the flower fields to Mandi, the meeting was informed. The meeting was further informed the besides successful commissioning of 10 parks on which Rs. 1155 lakh has been expended, the restoration work on 9 other important parks of the State, including Mughal Garden, is in full swing and expected to be completed soon. The work on development of 21 new parks and gardens in state would also be taken up very soon for providing recreation and stroll facilities to the people of the state for which DPRs stands prepared. The meeting also discussed threadbare the issues of illegal occupation of floriculture departmental land adjacent to Chashma Shahi, Harwan, Nishat and Shalimar Gardens, separate propagation centre for Tulip, deployment of security personnel at parks and gardens and convening of Departmental Promotion Committee. Director, Floriculture Kashmir and district officers of Floriculture department attended the meeting.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:39:58 +0000
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