Tangmarg, Aug 25 (KNO): Calling it a “historic moment”, Gulmarg MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah on Tuesday said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has fulfilled a 25-year-long demand of the constituency by laying the foundation stone for the Wussan Fruit and Vegetable Mandi here in North Kashmir.
MLA Shah, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said the area produces large quantities of apples, pears and cherries, but growers have traditionally had to transport their produce to Sopore or Srinagar.
He credited Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his cabinet, particularly Minister Javed Ahmed Dar, for making the long-pending project a reality.
The MLA said the new mandi would strengthen the local horticulture sector and help growers access a dedicated market closer to their production areas.
“I have told in the Assembly as well that we can be the Switzerland of Asia, be it tourism, where we are best in the country, horticulture, animal and sheep husbandry. We should utilise the potential,” Shah said.
He said the mandi was the step in a wider development plan for the constituency, adding that a Controlled Atmosphere storage facility would be the next priority.
“Today it is the mandi, next will be the CA Store and within one year there will be one of the major achievement news that will change the scenario of the Gulmarg constituency. The Chief Minister himself will lay the foundation of that,” he said.
Shah also set a 2029 target for the constituency, saying he had promised the people that Gulmarg would become the best constituency in the region.
“I had promised the people and I am on it that by 2029, Gulmarg constituency will be the best among all,” he said.
The Wussan mandi is expected to provide a dedicated platform for the marketing of locally produced fruits and vegetables and strengthen the horticulture economy of the Tangmarg and Gulmarg areas—(KNO)