Srinagar, Aug 1: Valley’s prominent fruit dealer Fayaz Ahmad Malik was elected as president, Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, Fruit Mandi, Sopore.
 Malik who was elected to the post for second consecutive term on Wednesday, beat his rival contestant Reyaz Ahmad War by a margin of 134 votes. The poll result was declared by Election Board constituted for the purpose this morning.
 Traders from Rafiabad, Sopore, Sangrama and Pattan visited Malik’s native village Achabal, Rafiabad to greet him.
 According to the results, of the total 582 votes polled, Malik secured 357 while his rival contestant bagged 223 votes.
 The results were declared in presence of Sub Divisional Magistrate Sopore, Dr. Hanief Balkhi and Superintendent of Police, Imtiyaz Hussain. 
 Malik credited the work “I have done for betterment of the fruit growers as the secret of my victory.”
 “The faith reposed by fruit merchants on me has encouraged me and I will try my best to come up to their expectations,” he said, adding that fruit industry has been “worst affected by the apathy of present dispensation.”
 Mincing no words, Malik alleged that the government has neglected the industry, “which sustains livelihood of more than half of the population of the Valley.”
 “We have been demanding that fruit industry should be brought under cover of insurance for past two decades, but nobody listens to us. We are demanding that infrastructure should be upgraded in Sopore Mandi and other satellite markets, but instead of fulfilling these demands, government is hell bent to sell assets of Mandi,” he said.
 Malik said his agenda will be to bring all the fruit merchants and growers of the Valley under single banner to fight a “decisive battle for the uplift of the industry.”
 Malik alleged that corruption has permeated to every level in Horticulture Department, Horticulture (Planning &Marketing) and Horticulture Produce Processing Marketing Corporation (HPMC) during past few years and “I will leave no stone unturned to expose the corrupt officials in the these  departments.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 1 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 1 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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