Shivraj Chouhan says 5 lakh PMAY beneficiaries in J&K to be provided houses soon | India News

Omar Abdullah and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (ANI photograph)

SRINAGAR: With chief minister Omar Abdullah sitting subsequent to him, Union minister for agriculture and rural improvement Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday stated almost 5 lakh folks in Jammu and Kashmir didn’t personal a home, and they might be allotted one soon.Addressing a press convention, Chouhan stated the allotment of 93% of houses beneath the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in J&Okay had been accomplished, and the remaining eligible beneficiaries had been recognized. “In a recent survey, five lakh names have been identified as deserving housing. The allotments will be made soon after the verification process,” he stated.Under the LG-led administration earlier, Omar had questioned the factors for figuring out the housing scheme beneficiaries in J&Okay. “Before allotting land, govt must clarify whom it considers ‘homeless’,” he had stated in July 2023. He had made it clear that he was opposed to the inclusion of those that got here to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 beneath this scheme.J&Okay events have in the previous accused the Centre of trying to settle ‘outsiders’ in Kashmir.Chouhan emphasised {that a} developed J&Okay was essential to PM Narendra Modi’s imaginative and prescient of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. He praised the state’s initiative, ‘Kisan Khidmat Ghar’ — a one-stop centre offering farmers entry to all agricultural providers beneath one roof.The minister stated farmers in the UT who had obtained land allotments from govt however lacked official documentation would be thought-about for inclusion beneath the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. Govt was additionally planning to launch the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme soon to be sure that horticulture crops had been precisely mapped and included beneath the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, he added.Chouhan expressed satisfaction with the number of horticulture crops grown in the area, but additionally raised a essential problem of imported plant supplies typically turning out to be contaminated after two or three years. To deal with this, a Rs 150-crore Clean Plant Centre would be established in Srinagar beneath the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture, he stated. “It will focus on clean, disease-free planting material for apples, almonds, walnuts and berries. Private nurseries will also be supported to ensure high-quality, pathogen-free plants are made available to farmers,” he added.Calling ‘saffron’ an emblem of Kashmir’s id, Chouhan introduced that the Centre would set up a tissue tradition lab and nursery to enhance its manufacturing. He stated the National Saffron Mission would be revised to swimsuit native circumstances, and an skilled workforce of scientists would be fashioned to enhance productiveness and cut back losses.