Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para on Tuesday pressed for convening an all-party meeting to discuss the impact of free trade agreements with foreign countries on Jammu and Kashmir’s horticulture sector, particularly the apple industry. He said a collective appeal should be made urging the Prime Minister to consider the matter.
Speaking during a discussion on allocations for various departments in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Para said an all-party meeting would help evolve a common stand on the issue.“If you call an all-party meeting and discuss this issue, an appeal can be made to the Prime Minister to consider the matter. For Kashmir, our problems of unemployment and our efforts to come out of militancy—after facing a prolonged phase—are closely linked to economic revival,” he said.
The PDP legislator asserted that Jammu and Kashmir’s economy cannot revive unless the apple industry is safeguarded. Calling the Indo-US trade agreement an issue that cuts across party lines, Para urged the chief minister to convene a meeting involving the BJP and other opposition parties, besides Congress and the ruling dispensation, to collectively address concerns of farmers and horticulturists. “My request to the government, the chief minister and the members present in this House is that an all-party meeting should be held on this issue, because this is everyone’s issue—of the opposition, the BJP, the Congress and the government as well,” he said.
Para flagged rising unemployment and said sustained economic recovery was essential for steering the region away from militancy. The Pulwama MLA said the free trade policy has emerged as a major challenge for the horticulture sector, especially in disaster-prone areas, adding that farmers across the country were anxious over its implications. He cited concerns raised by Congress MLA G A Mir and said there was widespread resentment among landholders in Jammu and Kashmir over the threat posed to apples and other local produce.
Noting that the Jammu and Kashmir government had limited options in the matter, he said trade agreements with countries such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and several European nations could severely impact the domestic fruit market, causing hardship to growers.
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