Srinagar, Feb 9: A war of words broke out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday between MLA Shopian Shabir Ahmad Kullay and Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar over the government’s policy on top-up subsidies for Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage facilities.
The exchange took place during the discussion on the budget, when Kullay raised concerns over the exclusion of Shopian and Pulwama districts from the proposed top-up subsidy scheme for CA storages. He argued that the policy was unjustified, given that Shopian produces some of the highest-quality apples in the Valley.
“Most of the quality apple production comes from Shopian, yet no top-up subsidy is being provided for CA storages in the district. This is not justified,” Kullay said, adding that the absence of additional storage infrastructure would hurt growers and traders.
Responding to the criticism, Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar said there was no restriction on setting up CA storages in Shopian and Pulwama. However, he clarified that the government would prioritise top-up subsidies for districts other than Shopian and Pulwama, citing saturation of existing capacity.
“There is no bar on the creation of CA storages in Shopian and Pulwama, but these areas have already reached saturation. Therefore, top-up subsidies will be prioritised for other districts to ensure balanced regional development,” the minister said.
Kullay strongly contested the minister’s claim, saying there was no saturation of CA storage facilities in Shopian. He maintained that the growing volume of high-quality apple production in these districts required additional storage capacity. “More quality apples are produced in Shopian and Pulwama, and the demand for CA storages is increasing. Saying there is saturation is incorrect,” he said.
The argument and counter-argument continued for some time, with both sides sticking to their positions, before Kullay concluded his speech.
Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio, had announced in his budget speech that the government would focus on balanced regional development. He said top-up subsidies for CA storage projects would be prioritised in districts other than Pulwama and Shopian, where capacity had already reached saturation.
The government’s stance has triggered concern among apple growers in Shopian and Pulwama , who argue that limited access to additional CA storage could affect their ability to store produce and secure better prices.
