As compared to other northern parts of the country leaving Himachal Pradesh aside Jammu and Kashmir have less proportion of land as plains that is under agriculture sector and paddy is the main crop grown in these plains. Two decades before paddy was grown in almost all areas of the erstwhile state but from past one decade many patches of this paddy land was either converted in residential colonies due to population or into apple orchards. The reason for converge on of these plains once meant for paddy are many but one among them being deficiency of water for irrigation resulting many apple orchards are seen in every part of valley especially in plains. Kulgam located in south western part of the valley was known as the rice bowl of Kashmir and its produced rice was famous and on demand all over the country. Population of the state was less and rice production was good and it was assumed that each house hold was having their own ration at least for six months in a year and many were selling extra produce of paddy to others who were not having paddy land resulting there was less demand for the rice brought from other parts of the country by a well known corporation called Food Corporation of India. But today things have changed totally. If Four lane the life line of Kashmir remains cĺosed for days due to bad weather conditions hue and cry is seen every whereand Food Corporation remain in news and finds its place in headlines claiming it has made sufficient stock and there is no need of panic. Every passing day many trucks laden with rice cross two newly constructed tunnels at Nashri and Qazigundon four lane by National Highway Authority of India. If one visits FCI godown located at Mirbazar on this fourlane one can assesshow much is the dearth of rice in this part of world known as Paradise on earthas it is also the staple food of this region.
Department of Revenue has been assigned the duty of crop assessment by the government from the commencement of this department and a special wing located in Financial Commissioner’s office looks after it and they after scrutiny send the data to the central authorities based at New Delhi where the final list is prepared .This list which is furnished at country level shows how much quantity of food is needed for the country men during the year.What quantity will be produced by our hardworking farmers and which state produces more and by how much and which state that produces less how much they need.In journalistic parlance five W,s and on H is also used by this wing also. Many states of our country produce a good quantity of rice and surplus quantity from these states is transporated to the states producing less quantity like ours. This author is serving in revenue department from last twelve years and found that each year the special wing of this department sends crop cut statement to the tehsils. For completing this statement random numbers are given in the list and name of the villages in which this crop cut is done is also mentioned in the list. It is pertinent to mention here that crop cut is a best method by which assessments of yields is made properly.But it is an old method and many a times this author has seen that the statements are completed indoors or at tehsil offices due to hectic schedule of field functionaries of revenue department. No doubt it is an essential scheme but with the latest technology methods and satellite imagery this method is being effective and error free. Agritech systems can give ground level data and satellite imagery for identification of plots will be suited for such trials will make it result oriented. Indian Agricultural Ministry has ordered pilot studies few years back to create satellite and other cutting edge technology for crop cut estimates to decrease the number of crop cut estimates by 59 percent. Authorities in Revenue Department should use these hitech approaches and it will beneficial to the department and will save the precious time of patwaries and girdawar quangos and will be best for good agricultural policy.
(Author is incharge District Record Room DC office Anantnag. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are author’s own and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
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