Srinagar, May 08: J&K Peoples Conference senior vice president and former minister Abdul Gani Vakil on Monday urged the government to go for immediate assessment of damages to fruit and vegetable crops and disburse financial relief to the affected families.
According to a statement, Vakil while touring several villages of the upper belt of Sopore’s Rafiabad including Braman, Kutru Naribal, Balhama, Khahmoh, and Brandub, expressed concern over the damage caused to fruit and vegetable crops due to heavy hailstorms in the area. He said the hailstorms have incurred huge losses to farmers and fruit growers.
The former minister expressed sympathies with the affected people and demanded a special economic package for them.
“Waiving off the KCC loan is the need of the hour at this crucial juncture which can be helpful to a great extent in reviving the horticulture sector which is in shambles,” the JKPC leader said.
Keep paddy seeds available in market: Mir
former cabinet minister and Apni Party senior vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir on Monday expressed his grief over the losses that the paddy growers have suffered due to the adverse weather conditions in recent days. He demanded that the administration stand by the affected farmers and provide them with all the necessary help, including compensation.
In his statement, Mir said, “The paddy crop has been hit hardest, and many farmers will need to replant their crops. However, I am told that there is an acute shortage of paddy seeds in the market. I appeal to the administration and the concerned officials to ensure that adequate supplies of paddy seeds are made available to the affected farmers so that they can replant their crops and recover from their losses.”
He also urged the administration to provide compensation to the sufferers. “In these difficult times, the government must stand by the farmers who suffered losses of paddy grains due to the adverse weather conditions. They should be adequately compensated and provided with the paddy seed so that they could replant the crops,” he said.