STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: SKUAST-Teaching Association Jammu (SKUAST-TAJ) President Dr. Vikas Sharma wrote to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi demanding Central Agriculture University status for SKUAST-Jammu.
In his four pages letter he mentioned that Jammu province has vast area, whose length/breadth ranges from 200 to 400 kms from Lakhanpur to Bani, Doda / Bhaderwah and Rajouri / Poonch and in the whole Northern India there is not even a single Central Agricultural University so far and Jammu region of J&K UT is the most suitable place for the establishment of the same as the region is bestowed upon with four agro climatic zones by the nature viz., subtropical, subtemperate, temperate and cold arid zones, which are not available in any other area of the country, that is why a large number of crops like rice, wheat, maize, pearl millet, buck wheat etc are grown along with a number of cash crops, vegetables, fruits, wild mushroom, saffron etc throughout the year.
He also mentioned that off season vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, knolkhol are grown in Chenani area and Sub mountainous area of Jammu Shivaliks locally called Kandi belt is very popular for growing barley, gram, local mango, Jamun, Phalsa Karonda, bael as well as tarar.
Dr. Sharma informed in the letter that on 15th April, 2014, the very first time demand for Central Agricultural University, Jammu was put forth by SKUAST-TAJ when association delegation met then National President, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajnath Singh at Subhash Stadium Udhampur and on August 20, 2014, SKUAST-J teaching association met then Union Minister for Human Resource Development Samriti Irani and submitted a memorandum regarding the issue and on May 1, 2016 SKUAST-TAJ met then National President BJP Amit Shah regarding the same demand.
He further informed that from the last 06 years teaching association of SKUAST-Jammu is continuously struggling on various platforms for the upgrdadtion of this only farm and professional varsity of Jammu division to Central Agricultural University of Jammu and the matter has already been discussed with Lieutenant Governer of J&K Manoj Sinha on January 17, 2021 during meeting of SKUAST-TAJ with LG at Raj Bhawan.
He stressed that the establishment of Central Agricultural University will help to take the latest technology to the door steps of farmers in far flung areas and will further assist the scientists and farmers of adjoining states especially Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand and requested to initiate the process for granting Central Agricultural University Status to SKUAST- Jammu as this step will go a long way in bringing the neglected farmers and people of Jammu to feel and become a part of Great Indian Nation.