On the directions of Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, a committee headed by the director of horticulture and food processing has been formed on promulgation of the Uttarakhand Fruit Nursery Act and Manual- 2017 (Nursery Act). Providing this information, Additional Secretary Meherban Singh Bisht said that during a review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister in the past, directions had been issued for drafting the Nursery Act.
For this purpose, a committee has been formed under the director of horticulture and food processing. Six other members have been named in this committee. The members of the committee include Centre for Aromatic Plants (CAP) Selaqui, scientist in-charge Nripendra Chauhan, Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry (Bharsar) dean BP Nautiyal, professor AK Singh and DC Dimri from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, horticulture joint director RK Singh and BP Bhatt from Herbal Research and Development Institute, Gopeshwar. Fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, aromatic plants, mushroom spawn, tea and other horticultural crops cultivated by farmers should be addressed under the Act. Aspects like various planting materials, seedlings, tissue culture based planting material and other subjects should also be incorporated in the nursery act.
Saplings and seeds are purchased by farmers not only from nursery owners but also from distributors, suppliers and traders with the commodities being sourced from outside the State and even abroad. Including such aspects in the act can also be considered.
The nursery acts of European nations can also be studied so that the State’s nursery act is comprehensive. After deliberating on all aspects of the Uttarakhand fruit nursery act and manual- 2017, this expert committee will submit its recommendations to the State administration within a period of 15 days, informed Bisht.