Srinagar, July 24 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Javid Dar on Thursday said that the process for holding Panchayat elections in the Union Territory is underway and the government is keen to restore grassroots democratic institutions at the earliest.

Dismissing claims that National Conference is reluctant about Panchayat polls, Dar said the party has a strong record of conducting such elections in 1998, 2011, and 2020.

“There is a history of the National Conference. When Dr. Farooq Abdullah returned to power in 1996, Panchayat elections were held in 1998. Later in 2011, during Omar Abdullah’s tenure, I was the Minister of State and we witnessed record-breaking polling in rural areas,” he said as per KNS.

Dar said the Panchayati Raj institutions have played a vital role in empowering people and ensuring accountability.

“In 2011, we saw record-breaking polling in rural areas. The concept of Panchayati Raj was strengthened then,” he said. He added that the last Panchayat elections were held in 2020, and the current government is committed to carrying the process forward.

Speaking on farmers' issues, Dar said the government is working to strengthen the buyer-seller relationship in agriculture, which he described as the foundation of a profitable farm economy.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“There must be a strong bond between buyers and sellers. Where there is trust, there is good business and profit,” he said, responding to concerns over low returns for farmers.

He also said that low returns often stem from poor-quality produce, and the government is addressing this by introducing high-yield, well-graded varieties. “We are promoting the development of mother nurseries so that farmers get better quality plants and seeds,” he said.

Speaking on the concerns of young entrepreneurs and those involved in value-added sectors such as food processing, Dar said the government is trying to establish market linkages, provide platforms, and raise awareness about schemes to boost their business prospects.

“We are helping new entrepreneurs with the right information and connecting them to markets so they can grow their products and visibility,” he said.

On the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme, Dar said that it is a Union Territory-level scheme, not centrally sponsored. The project, worth Rs 5,000 crore over five years, covers 39 components, 16 related to agriculture and the rest to allied sectors.

“There was a delay for a couple of months due to portal issues, but now the system has been restored and people are availing benefits in mechanization and other sectors,” he said.(KNS)