Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday presided over a meeting of party functionaries on addressing the challenges faced by the horticulture sector in Kashmir.
Those who participated in the meeting include provincial president Nasir Aslam Wani, Javed Dar, Imran Nabi Dar, Qaisar Jamsheed Lone, Showkat Ahmed Ganaie, Dr. Sajad Shafi Uri, Mudassar Shahmiri, Hilal Lone, Reyaz Bedar, Irshad Ahmed Kar, Shafqat Watali, Sheikh Mohammad Rafi, Saif Ud Din Bhat, GN Bhat.
Sharing their ground assessment of the crisis-like situation with the Vice President, the functionaries said that the Horticulture sector is in desperate need of help as a result of the transportation crisis, low pricing, and other allied issues that have endangered the livelihood of lakhs of people who are directly and indirectly part of this industry. Issues like fetching of poor prices, the sale of sub-standard pesticides and fertilizers, high GST rates on pesticides and packaging, cold storages, fruit imports, and undue road blockages were discussed during the breadth of the meeting.
The functionaries also expressed concern over the absence of adequate measures by the incumbent government to ensure the hassle-free movement of fruit-laden trucks on national highways.
Later, Omar Abdullah presided over the block working committee meeting of the Sopore Constituency at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha Srinagar.
The meeting was marked by threadbare discussions on organizational issues, and the prevailing political situation in the constituency. The block committee members also raised a plethora of other issues concerning the people in the constituency. Issues like unemployment, farm distress, the plight of the horticulture sector, development deficit, and administrative inertia were also marked up in the meeting by the individual block committee members.
Among others Party’s Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq, North Zone President Javed Dar, District President Baramulla Dr. Sajad Shafi Uri, In Charge Constituency Irshad Ahmed Kar, Deputy Political Secretary to VP Mudassar Shahmiri were also present in the meeting.
Exhorting the functionaries to reach out to people, Omar said, “Our cadre has an added responsibility to give every single person in the constituency an understanding of the underway machinations of the BJP and its local A and B teams. The powers that are pitted against NC are so insecure about the support from genuine voters that they have to import temporary voters to win seats. Even the last man residing in the upper reaches of Sopore and elsewhere has to be told how BJP and its cronies are trying to bring in demographic and cultural changes in J&K by bringing imported voters.”
“Our workers have to guide people about the process of voter registration as well. It is for people to stop them, No one else can. If people come out and register as voters and subsequently vote in huge numbers, there is nothing that can touch our unique identity. But if all of us chose to stay in our homes, there is nothing that can save us,” he said.
