Srinagar, June 28: Senior ministers of the National Conference-led government in Jammu and Kashmir convened an early-morning press conference on Sunday to directly rebuff accusations of irregular hiring, insisting that the outsourcing system at the centre of the controversy was not of their making, and daring their critics to prove otherwise.

Speaking on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the advisor Nasir Aslam Wani opened the briefing by framing the issue as a matter of public trust. “Many misconceptions have been spread regarding our government’s employment policy,” he said. “It is our duty to clear these misunderstandings because it is our responsibility to ensure that the public receives the correct facts.”

Wani sought to draw a sharp contrast between the current recruitment drive and practices of the past. “Today, we are not witnessing the practices that were common in the past — paper leaks, cancelled selection lists, and other irregularities,” he told reporters. “Those experiences belong to the past.”

The government, he said, had launched a mission to fill nearly 40,000 vacancies through a transparent, merit-based process and expected it to be completed soon.

On the outsourcing controversy specifically, Wani was unequivocal in pointing the finger at the previous PDP administration. “Just as they left us with the consequences of the abrogation of Article 370, the loss of statehood, the division of the erstwhile state into three parts,” he said, “they also left behind this outsourcing system.” He added that the entire outsourcing framework had been put in place between 2015 and 2018, and that all appointments now being questioned were initiated before the 2024 elections. “The same process has simply continued.”

Wani then issued a direct challenge to critics: “If anyone can produce even a single piece of evidence proving that this government has made a backdoor appointment, let them do so.”

Cabinet minister Sakina Itoo took over to explain the operational rationale for outsourcing, describing it as a short-term administrative necessity rather than a recruitment channel. “Outsourced personnel are engaged over and above the sanctioned strength of any department,” she said, offering the example of a hospital that installs an extra X-ray machine but needs a technician immediately. “Patients cannot be made to wait indefinitely while the formal recruitment process takes place.”

Itoo also clarified the procurement process for outsourcing agencies. “These outsourcing agencies are selected through the Government e-Marketplace portal using a transparent tendering process,” she said, adding that renewals and extensions were merely a continuation of policy inherited from the previous government.

Both ministers framed the press conference as a response to what they described as deliberate political point-scoring by the PDP,  a party they accused of criticising a system it had itself designed. “Those making these allegations should know this better than anyone,” Wani said, “because the outsourcing system itself was introduced during their tenure.”

Sweepers engaged with the Municipal Committee (MC) Langate Saturday held a peaceful protest, demanding regularisation of their services and salary hike.

The protesters said that they have been serving in the department for years but continue to work on meagre wages without the benefits available to regular employees.

“We have been working tirelessly for the last several decades to keep the town clean but our services are not being regularised. We deserve justice and job security,” said a protester Mohammad Akbar.

“The monthly salary of Rs 9,300 is in no means sufficient to support our family in the present economic situation. Prices of essential commodities have increased manifold and the condition has become extremely difficult for us to meet household expenses,” said another protester Bilal Ahmad.

They said that the sanitation workers perform essential public service under challenging conditions and should be treated with dignity and fairness.

“We are not asking for something special, we only want our services to be regularised so that our families can have a secure future,” the protesters added. The protesting sanitation workers sought immediate intervention of the concerned authorities to intervene and take immediate steps to regularise their services and address their grievances. The protesters were joined by President Langate Traders Federation Mohammad Lateef who supported the genuine demands of sweepers. “These sanitation workers have been serving the department efficiently for the last two decades and must be given their due rights,” he added.

Apple growers in Kashmir have sold almost their entire stock of last season’s apples stored in Controlled Atmosphere (CA) facilities, but returns remained average to low as a glut in wholesale markets and poor fruit quality prevented prices from rising as expected.

Last season, growers diverted lakhs of tonnes of apples to CA storage facilities across the Valley, hoping to secure better prices by releasing the produce gradually during the lean marketing period. However, the strategy yielded limited gains as markets continued to witness heavy arrivals and subdued demand.

In April, apples from CA storages were sold in markets outside Jammu and Kashmir at around Rs 75-80 per kg. While growers had expected prices to firm up in the following months as fresh arrivals declined, rates remained largely stagnant, leaving many disappointed with the returns.

Izhan Javed, Chief Executive Officer of Fruit Master and spokesperson for the Jammu and Kashmir Private Integrated Controlled Atmosphere Association (JKPICCA), said around five lakh metric tonnes of apples were stored in CA facilities across Kashmir last season.

“Nearly 95 per cent of the stored stock has been sold, with only about five per cent remaining,” Javed said. “Prices remained average throughout the season as markets continued to receive large quantities of apples, limiting any significant increase in rates.”

Last year’s prolonged rains and erratic weather conditions adversely affected the crop. Fearing further losses due to fruit drop and deteriorating quality, many growers harvested their orchards earlier than usual and shifted the produce to CA storages in the hope of obtaining better prices later in the season.

However, the expected price advantage did not materialise.

Mohammad Ashraf Wani, president of the Fruit Mandi Shopian, said the relatively poor quality of apples also weighed on market prices.

“A considerable portion of the crop was affected by adverse weather, which impacted quality. Buyers were selective, and better prices were available only for premium-grade fruit,” he said.

Wani added that high production and continued availability of apples in wholesale markets also kept prices under pressure throughout the marketing season.

Tariq Ahmad, an apple farmer said that CA storage can only preserve the fruit; it cannot create demand,” Ahmad said.

“When production is high and markets are flooded with apples, prices inevitably come under pressure. Unless market arrivals are balanced and demand improves, growers cannot expect substantial gains from storing their produce”, he added.

While the technology helps preserve fruit quality and extends the marketing window, growers say it cannot guarantee higher returns unless supported by favourable market conditions and balanced supply.

The horticulture sector in Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed significant expansion over the past four decades, with the area under fruit cultivation increasing from 1.31 lakh hectares in 1980 to 3.44 lakh hectares in 2022, while production has risen more than fivefold—from 5.6 lakh tonnes to 27.22 lakh tonnes.

These figures, outlined in the government’s Niti Aayog’s report on “Roadmap for Horticulture Development in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir @ 2047,” underscore the sector’s growing importance and set the stage for future policy direction to scale up productivity, improve infrastructure, and enhance export competitiveness.

Horticulture has steadily evolved into one of the most critical pillars of the Union Territory’s economy. With an estimated annual turnover of Rs10,000 crore, the sector contributes around 6–7 percent to the Gross Domestic Product and provides livelihood support to nearly 3.5 million people, directly or indirectly. This includes orchard owners, farm labourers, transporters, traders, and those engaged in packaging, processing, and export-related activities.