Kupwara : If Tuesday’s function of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in the Zangalee Army area at Kupwara here is any indication, records are meant to be broken. Yes, in less than a month’s time, KVIC makes a new World Record of distributing maximum number of bee-boxes, i.e. 2330 bee-boxes in a single day – beating its previous best of 1000 bee boxes, distributed in Kaziranga forest area among Mishing tribe there – on the occasion of World Honey Bee Day.
The KVIC distributed those 2330 bee-boxes among 233 beneficiaries, in association with Indian Army’s Sadbhawna Programme. This initiative was taken under the guidance of Member, North Zone Dr. Hina Shafi Bhat. Hina recently held meetings with top officers of Army and arrange this grand programme under Honey Mission for the rural areas of Jammu & Kashmir. Besides, KVIC, PMTC Pampore which was recently revived by KVIC organised a grand function at Zangli Garrison Main Town Kupwara in association with the Indian Army.
Function was graced by Dy. Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Shri Kavinder Gufta as Chief Guest. Besides, Chairman KVIC Vinai Kumar Saxena, Member (NZ) KVIC Dr. Hina Shafi Bhat, Major General C. B Ponappa VSN GOC Vajra Division Kupwara, Brigadier Jayant Kar Commander Thunder Bolts Brigade, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Khalid Jahingeer, State Director KVIC Vinay Kumar, Assistant Director, I/C/Principal Kashmir Anil Kumar Sharma, Officers of Army, KVIC, KVIB & DIC District Administration, Trainees, PMEGP beneficiaries and large local population was also present.
Addressing the gathering, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Shri Kavinder Gufta, who was the Chief Guest, said that the KVIC’s programmes could generate millions of jobs in the valley, through Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ mission. “This Honey Mission of KVIC will certainly script a new chapter of development in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena, in his address, said that KVIC’s ‘Honey Mission’ is aimed to fulfil the call of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who had said ‘Nation needs a Sweet Kranti after Shwet Kranti’ at a function of Banas Dairy on December 10, 2016. “To make Prime Minister’s call for ‘Sweet Revolution’, the KVIC made an action plan named ‘Honey Mission’ – with a target to distribute 1.3 lakh bee-boxes before November 2018 across the nation, in which so far 27,000 bee-boxes have already been distributed. And, it is really historical to march ahead with Indian Army – who had won millions of more hearts of people here under its Sadbhawna programme – in terms of establishing peace and harmony in the valley. It also gives me immense pleasure see the rays of hope in the eyes of these 233 beneficiaries belonging to the remotest hamlets of Jammu & Kashmir – which is better known as ‘Heaven of earth’ for having the richest flora and fauna,” he said, adding, “As KVIC is also the nodal agency of Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), we will provide loans for setting up units of processing, bottling, packaging and labelling units for the honey.”
Saxena further said that in present times, when sustainable development and job creation have become the buzzwords of the hours, what better enterprise can be better than bee-keeping, which is low-investment and low input business mechanism. “It will certainly open floodgates of self-sustenance in the rural economy but it will also create ecological balance,” he added.
KVIC Member (North Zone) Dr Hina Shafi Bhat, who had herself monitored the entire process of this bee-boxes distribution programme, said that the programme was aimed to fulfil the mission of the Prime Minister, to provide jobs to the unemployed youths at their doorsteps. “I am sure that under KVIC’s Honey Mission programme, we will not only provide jobs to them – but also give them a proper platform for branding and marketing of Kashmir’s honey at global level,” she said.
She Said that the initiative by KVIC expects to generate around hundreds jobs Dr. Hina said that Always on the lookout for innovative ideas to change the face of the nation, Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi recently said that along with “Shwet Kranti” there is also need to launched “Sweet Kranti”. The PM Vision is to make India a world leader in the production of honey and bee wax and the convince the farmers to increase crop production through pollination.
Major General C. B Ponappa VSM GOC Vajra Division Kupwara, in his address, said that such developmental programmes could play a pivotal role in establishing peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.
It may be noted that the KVIC had aimed to create jobs for youths giving them an adroit pair of hands. In Kupwara, Ganderbal and Pulwama Districts of Jammu & Kashmir practical training was imparted to 233 beneficiaries in examination of honeybee colonies, acquaintance with apicultural equipment, identification and management of bee enemies and diseases, honey extraction and wax purification, and management of bee colonies in spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter seasons. In Kupwara District training was conducted in association with Indian Army. Indian Army not only helped in proving training but also provided 10 percent of own contribution to the beneficiaries for setting up their own apiaries, thereby providing them the platform for earning their livelihood.
Besides giving them certificates of trained bee-keepers, the KVIC experts also delved upon honey bee species, colony organization, division of labor and life cycle of honey bees; management of honey bee colonies during different seasons.