In a heated exchange in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, MLA Shopian Shabir Ahmad Kullay and Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar clashed over the government’s policy regarding top-up subsidies for Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage facilities.

The altercation occurred during a budget discussion when Kullay expressed concerns about the exclusion of Shopian and Pulwama districts from the proposed subsidy scheme for CA storages. He argued that this decision was unfair, especially considering Shopian’s reputation for producing high-quality apples in the region.

Kullay emphasized, “Most of the top-quality apple production originates from Shopian, yet the district is being overlooked for top-up subsidies for CA storages. This is unjust and could negatively impact growers and traders.”

Responding to Kullay’s criticism, Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar defended the government’s position by stating that there were no restrictions on establishing CA storages in Shopian and Pulwama. However, he mentioned that the government’s focus was on providing subsidies to districts other than Shopian and Pulwama due to existing capacity constraints.

Dar clarified, “While there is no prohibition on setting up CA storages in Shopian and Pulwama, these areas have already reached their storage capacity limits. Therefore, the government’s priority is to allocate subsidies to other districts to ensure balanced regional development.”

Disputing Dar’s assertion, Kullay refuted the claim of saturation in CA storage facilities in Shopian. He argued that the increasing volume of high-quality apple production in these districts necessitated additional storage capacity. “The demand for CA storages is rising in Shopian and Pulwama due to the abundance of quality apples. The notion of saturation is inaccurate,” Kullay asserted.

The debate between Kullay and Dar continued at length, with both sides maintaining their positions before Kullay concluded his remarks.

Earlier in the budget speech, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also oversees the finance portfolio, emphasized the government’s commitment to balanced regional development. He announced that top-up subsidies for CA storage projects would be prioritized in districts other than Pulwama and Shopian, where storage capacity had already been maximized.

The government’s decision has raised concerns among apple growers in Shopian and Pulwama, who fear that limited access to additional CA storage could impact their ability to store produce and negotiate better prices.