Omar Abdullah promises to fulfil all commitments in next three-and-a-half years

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his government will fulfil its promises within three and a half years while laying the foundation stone for a modern fruit and vegetable mandi in Tangmarg, aimed at strengthening horticulture and benefiting local growers

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that his government would fulfil all the promises made to the people in the next three years. The chief minister made the assurance while addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation stone of a modern fruit and vegetable mandi at Wussan Bangil, Karhama in Tangmarg area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The foundation stone marks the beginning of a long-pending demand of the area and a significant step towards strengthening the horticulture marketing infrastructure in the Tangmarg-Gulmarg belt.

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Addressing the gathering, Abdullah reiterated the government’s commitment to fulfilling the promises made to the people, saying the next three and a half years would witness accelerated development across Jammu and Kashmir.

“God willing, in the next three and a half years, we will fulfil all the promises we have made to the people and present ourselves before you,” he said. Referring to the Gulmarg-Tangmarg constituency, the CM said the constituency would be among the most developed constituencies in J-K after three years.

“I can say with confidence that after three and a half years, if you look at all the Assembly constituencies, among the most developed, if not the most developed, will be the Gulmarg-Tangmarg constituency, because here not only has work started, it is progressing rapidly,” he said.

Responding to criticism from the opposition, the Chief Minister said political parties were free to oppose government initiatives, but people would ultimately judge governments by the work delivered on the ground.

He questioned why earlier governments, despite having land and opportunities, had not established a fruit and vegetable mandi in the area when they were in power.

“You had the government, you had the opportunity and this land was already here. No land had to be acquired for this fruit and vegetable mandi. It was lying unused. Today, if the MLA sits with the concerned Minister and prepares a project for a fruit market in his area, is that his fault, or is the question why those who represented the area earlier did not do it?” he asked.

The proposed mandi will be developed on 50 kanals of land, with direct access to the Tangmarg-Gulmarg Road. Envisaged as a modern and organised marketing facility, the mandi will cater to the major horticulture belt of Tangmarg and adjoining areas and is expected to benefit around nine lakh people across 19 blocks in Baramulla and Budgam districts.

The facility will provide growers with an organised platform for the handling, grading, sorting, packaging and marketing of fruit and vegetable produce, besides strengthening market linkages and logistics in the region.

It is expected to bring buyers closer to producers, improve price realisation for farmers and reduce post-harvest losses through better handling, storage and supply-chain facilities.

Abdullah said the project represented the fulfilment of a major and long-standing demand of the people of the area and underlined the need to look beyond tourism while assessing the economic potential of Kashmir.

“Often, when we speak to people outside JK, they feel that there is nothing but tourism in Kashmir and that our entire economy revolves around tourism. But when I explain to them that agriculture, horticulture, fruits, dairy and other sectors contribute much more, they are surprised,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the establishment of the mandi was particularly important for Tangmarg because the area is a major horticulture-producing belt.

“Your fruits and vegetables were being grown here, but to take them to the market you had to travel to far-off markets. You did not always get buyers. Now, through this market, the buyers will come here and, through the buyers, you will get a better rate,” he said.

He said the modern infrastructure would also help ensure better quality of produce and facilitate its access to wider markets. The project, he added, would create a new source of income for the area and give a major boost to the rural economy.

Emphasising that the success of the mandi would also depend on connectivity, Abdullah directed that the road leading to the facility be improved and widened.

“Along with this fruit market and vegetable market, we will have to fix this road as well. Even if it is a 1.5 to 2 km stretch, we will have to widen it and improve its condition so that people do not face any difficulty,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the government had initiated development works across sectors in the constituency, including drinking water, healthcare, education, roads and horticulture infrastructure.

He said the focus was on taking development works to the ground and addressing the demands of people through concrete projects. He also announced that the Mini Secretariat at Tangmarg, whose work had been initiated during his earlier government but could not be completed, would be completed and handed over to the people during the current year.