Jammu, March 16 (Scoop News) –On a visit to the border district of Poonch yesterday, the Governor, N. N. Vohra, inaugurated the newly constructed Complex of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and visited Chakan-Da-Bagh Trade Facilitation Centre.
The Governor reached Mandi from Jammu early in the morning and paid obeisance at the Holy Shrine of Shri Budha Amarnathji. The Governor, and the First Lady,. Usha Vohra, prayed for peace, progress and prosperity in the State. He was received by the Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Kuldeep Lal Khajuria, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Ashkoor Ahmed Wani and senior officers of the district administration.
Later, the Governor visited Loran, and interacted with local inhabitants, who presented to him a memorandum highlighting several issues relating to the development of tourist infrastructure, health, education, agriculture and horticulture sectors in this area. Later, during the interaction with the district officers, the Governor stressed the need for focused attention being devoted for the promotion of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, poultry farming, fisheries, mushroom cultivation and other related activities in the Loran area.
The Governor later visited Poonch and met a delegation of prominent citizens, who raised several demands relating to the socio-economic development of the area which included, inter-alia, the promotion of religious tourism in Poonch district, which is endowed with several Shrines, establishment of a District Consumer Court and a Women’s College, development of tourist infrastructure at identified places and development of satisfactory inter-district and intra district road network.
On arrival at Poonch, the Governor was received by the senior officers of the Civil and Police Administration, the Brigade Commander, Brig. V. S. Srinivas, and other senior officers.
The Governor, at a meeting with 93 Brigade Commander and other senior officers of the Army, discussed the security situation obtaining in this border district. He lauded the valour and dedication of the officers and jawans of the Army in discharging their duties on the frontiers and also providing valuable support to the civilian population, particularly those living in the remote and difficult areas.
The Governor visited the Cross LoC Trade Facilitation Centre at Chakan-Da-Bagh, where he was briefed about the development of a full-fledged Complex which is being funded by the Government of India, at a cost of Rs. 10 crore, and the facilities currently being provided to the traders, as well as for passenger movement, nature and volume of trade and other related issues. A large number of local traders who had gathered at the Facilitation Centre presented a memorandum of demands to the Governor, who assured them that he would take up their demands with the Central Government. On this occasion, the Governor and the Lady Governor also planted saplings of pecanut within the Complex of Trade Centre at Chakan-Da-Bagh.
Later, the Governor inaugurated the newly constructed Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Poonch, which has been established over an area of 3.2 hectares for facilitating speedy transfer of technology from research institution to the farmers for increasing productivity and production, as also increasing income from agri-and allied sectors on sustained basis. The Governor also launched the website of the KVK, Poonch, on this occasion.
During the course of a detailed presentation, the Vice Chancellor of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Dr. B. Mishra, informed that the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Poonch, fully funded at a cost of nearly Rs. 2 crore by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Government of India, comprised an Administrative Block, Farmers’ Hostel, staff quarters, demonstration sheds and fencing. He further informed that the ICAR also provides full financial support for its annual operational expenses. Dwelling on the KVK’s activities, the Vice Chancellor said that the Krishi Vigyan Kendra shall conduct on-farm testing for identifying technologies in terms of location specific sustainable land use system, organize frontline demonstrations on various crops to generate production data and feedback information, arrange short and long-term vocational training courses for the farmers and rural youth with emphasis on learning by doing for securing higher farm production and generating self-employment, besides organizing trainings to update the extension personnel with emerging advances in agricultural research on regular basis.
The Principal Secretary to the Governor, R. K. Goyal, Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Kuldip Lal Khajuria, SSP Poonch, Ashkoor Ahmed Wani and other officers and farmers of the area were present on the occasion.