Srinagar: The Agriculture Department Kashmir on Thursday issued a clarification regarding “fake news” being circulated by a news agency.
“A fake news has been uploaded by Kashmir News Service having correspondent Ashiq Ali Shah in his face book page at 9.00 PM on 25.04.2023 where under two progressive farmers namely Shri Bashir Ahmad Lone S/O Ab Khaliq Lone R/O Amnoo Kulgam & Shri Gh. Rasool Mir S/O Ab. Kareem Mir R/O Amnoo Kulgam have stated that no inspection has been made Enforcement Office department of Agriculture district Kulgam for quality control of various pesticides and fertilizers,” the department said in a statement.
Acting upon the situation a team of enforcement officers headed by Deputy Director Law Enforcement Kashmir along with concerned Chief Agriculture Officer Kulgam visited the village Amnoo and conducted thorough meeting with aforesaid farmers in order to clarifying the facts of uploaded video in Facebook page, the statement said.
“The two progressive farmers namely Shri Bashir Ahmad Lone S/O Ab Khaliq Lone R/O Amnoo Kulgam & Shri Gh. Rasool Mir S/O Ab. Kareem Mir R/O Amnoo Kulgam stated that the concerned media person has shown spraying of pesticides in their orchards which is baseless and have no resemblance with them also stated in the statement before the higher officers that the idea has been mutilated with wrong intention,” the department said.
“Furthermore, the two progressive farmers have also accepted that the pesticides as well as fertilizers that they have purchased from the main market Kulgam are upto their best satisfaction which should be witnessed through scab free apple orchards during the last year and that remained continued during this current season as there is no incidence of any disease in their orchards as well as in the entire district till now,” the statement said. “In addition to that the aforesaid farmers have also mentioned an unconditional apology is extended for the uploading of mutilated video (video clip).”
Now it became evident that the fame of Department of Agriculture and its enforcement wing Kulgam deprecated among the farming community of the Kashmir Valley by uploading such fabricated video on social media without knowing the facts and findings, the statement said.
“Now, it became necessary for the department to initiate appropriate action against Ashiq Ali Shah, correspondent of Kashmir News Service who is involved in uploading the video in social media as such police station Kulgam is requested that FIR shall be lodged against the accused person under relevant Sections of IPC 1860 and thorough investigation shall be initiated as per law needs top priority. Further higher ups of the department have been apprised regarding the fake video uploaded on social media without any semblance on the ground,” the agriculture department said.

KR Desk