Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday inaugurated the new Boys Hostel of the Faculty of Forestry worth Rs 5.30 crore and laid the foundation stone for a Rs 10 crore Mini-Watershed Project at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology- Kashmir campus, Benhama in Ganderbal district.
He also inaugurated a Trainees Hostel at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) of Jammu worth Rs 3.80 crore and Academic Block costing Rs 8 crore.
The Lieutenant Governor felicitated the progressive farmers and handed over cheques of Rs 5000 each to 10 awardees of the 'Champion Farmer Award'. He also released seven publications of Agriculture and Forestry.
Addressing on the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor observed that the progressive and future-oriented approach of the government has brought about visible changes in the agroforestry situation in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to improved productivity, profitability and employability in the said sector.
The Lt Governor appreciated the collective efforts put in by the VC, SKUAST-K, and his team for producing human resources in Agriculture and allied disciplines, developing technologies for solving farmer's problems in agriculture & allied sciences, besides taking the Lab innovations to the Field in a bid to substantially increase the farmer's income.
Our large population is dependent on agriculture and agro-forestry. The goal of rapid development of villages, forest dwellers, and farming communities can only be achieved by protecting our forest resources and integrating forest products into the new investment policy, the Lieutenant Governor maintained.
Speaking on the government's endeavours to safeguarding the rights and interests of the communities dependent on forests, the Lieutenant Governor stated that the Union Territory Government is committed to fully implement the Forest Rights Act at the earliest.
The administration is working to ensure their rights. We are reaching out to the communities and stakeholders dependent on forests by opening up more opportunities for their livelihood generation, added the Lieutenant Governor.
The Lt Governor also underlined a host of innovative measures taken by the Union Territory Government for branding, marketing, and transportation of local Agroforestry products.
The Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving focused attention towards the development and progress of agriculture and allied sectors in the UT.
The Lieutenant Governor also made some suggestions to explore more possibilities of growth and diversification in the agro-forestry industry.
He called for prioritizing the reproductivity of medicinal and aromatic plants, besides conducting a regular survey in this regard and preparing a working plan for the next year. He also suggested the forestry faculty explore all the possibilities of integrating the forest products like Kot root plant with other growth potential industries.
He further shared the suggestions and inputs received by the farmers from every corner of the UT regarding focusing attention on the value addition in agriculture.
We are creating new opportunities for rural employment. With the target of two FPOs in each district, the Government is working to create such facilities and ecosystem so that youth could also take up farming as a career option, the Lieutenant Governor said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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