JAMMU — The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday passed grants amounting to over Rs 9,680.03 crore for agriculture and allied departments, including rural development, cooperatives, election, animal and sheep husbandry, horticulture and fisheries.
The House approved Rs 2,423.86 crore for the agriculture department, Rs 1,160.40 crore for animal and sheep husbandry, Rs 696.48 crore for horticulture, Rs 206.20 crore for fisheries, Rs 266.11 crore for cooperatives, Rs 361.26 crore for the election department and Rs 45.65 crore for rural development and panchayati raj.
The grants were passed through a voice vote after daylong deliberations by legislators.
Winding up the discussion on Demands for Grants, Agriculture Minister Javid Ahmed Dar described agriculture and allied sectors as the lifeline of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy.
Highlighting their economic significance, he told the House that farming and allied activities contribute Rs 41,273 crore to the UT economy, accounting for 19 per cent of the State Gross Domestic Product.
He said horticulture contributes 41 per cent of this output, reaffirming Jammu and Kashmir’s leadership in high-value fruit production, while livestock accounts for 33 per cent and core agriculture 25 per cent, supporting food security and traditional cropping systems.
“Public investment must translate into measurable prosperity at the grassroots level,” Dar said. — (PTI)