MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
???? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)
(a): National Mission on Saffron was launched during 2010-11 with an outlay of Rs. 400.11 crore with Government of India (GoI) share of Rs. 315.99 crore. The approved period of National Saffron Mission was up to 2013-14. It was further extended from 2014-15 to 2017-18.
Since the Mission was not completed during the extended period, it was decided to take up the residual activities under regular Annual Action Plan (AAP) of J&K under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). During 2019-20, an amount of Rs. 80.30 crore (GoI Share) has been allocated under the regular AAP of J&K under MIDH for various activities of Saffron Mission out of which an amount of Rs. 60.00 crore have been released so far.
Till now, an amount of Rs. 266.10 crore has been released to the Government of J&K for various activities of Saffron Mission since its launch.
(b): The National Horticulture Board (NHB) was assigned the task of helping UT of J&K to establish the Saffron Park at Pampore. NHB has got the Civil and Electrification work completed through CPWD and installation of plant and machinery has also been completed.
(c): No such grievances have been received by this Ministry. Government of J&K has also reported that there has been no grievance from the farmers regarding non- functioning of bore-wells which are fully functional.
(d): No such complaints have been reported by the Government of J&K to this Ministry. However, Government of J&K affirms that some anonymous complaints lodged regarding large scale corruption in Mission has been a handy work of some unscrupulous elements viz. Land Mafia, Unregistered Saffron Traders etc. who intend to demonize the initiative taken by the Government of India for the economic revival of Saffron in J&K and the sincere work put in by the stake holders of the National Mission on Saffron.
(e): As reported by Government of J & K, timely intervention and a robust policy driven legislation Saffron Act of 2007 and Saffron Rules of 2018 have been enforced to check the menace of adulteration in Kashmir Saffron. This Ministry has not received any complaint regarding illegal import of saffron into India.
(f): No such study has been undertaken by the Ministry.
(g): Government of India has established Saffron Production and Export Development Agency (SPEDA) at Srinagar, J&K for the development, marketing, quality improvement and export promotion of saffron in the country. Under SPEDA, a full-fledged Mini Saffron Processing unit with Driers was given to the progressive Saffron Growers Society in 2017 which is still functioning.
During 2019-20, production of 26.22 MTs of Saffron has been reported from an area of 2462 ha.
********
Download PDF Files
