This refers to the news report ‘Highway vends despoil Pampore saffron fields’ (GK, July 18).The saffron land along the Highway comprises only 1% of the saffron fields, but what about the remaining 27% which has been encroached and occupied for power grid station, CRPF camp, 50/55RR camp. Saffron colony around the township and hundreds of kanals of saffron land have been cut away to fill the Highway project. Instead of encouraging the promotion of saffron in its pure form, large firms are making ties with the authorities by paying handsome amounts to avoid the insertion of farmers into the saffron business. It is a landmark step that the unemployed and educated youth of the area have taken an initiative to promote saffron. It is because of this initiative that the original saffron has made a comeback in the market after a period of forty years. They are more concerned about the land than the authorities and are in direct contact with the customers that the big firms dislike. The authorities should look into the difficulties they face, provide security, power supply, water supply and help to devise means to keep the area neat and clean.

Showkat Ahmad Ganai
showkatganai.ch@gmail.com

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST