LG seeks detailed report from 2 Div Comms
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 29: Respon-ding to letter of Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu regarding furnishing of detailed report about the losses suffered by farmers due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm in the months of November and December as well as heavy snowfall in Kashmir valley, the authorities will submit report to the LG’s Office by tomorrow.
According to official sources, the Divisional Commissioner’s Office Jammu in a quick response has framed the report to be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor by tomorrow, the deadline fixed by his office.
Sources said the Revenue authorities as well as Agriculture Department have framed a detailed report about the damage suffered by the farmers in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts especially in world class Basmati producing areas of R S Pura and Bishnah which have suffered a heavy loss due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm in November and December.
As per the report, the losses have been suffered by Basmati growers in Jammu district and to some extent in Samba and Kathua districts. However there is no major loss in the Kandi belt and hilly areas of the region.
Murmu after getting reports of heavy loss suffered by the Agriculture Sector in the State due to recent rains and snowfall had sought a detailed report from two Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir Valley and Jammu region. The letter written by Governor yesterday has urged the two Divisional Commissioners to submit the report by December 30 positively.
In his letter to two Divisional Commissioners, the LG has urged them to conduct a detailed survey of losses.
Sources said Divisional Commissioner’s Office Jammu has framed the report and the same will be submitted by tomorrow. Sources said that in Jammu the Basmati, a Kharif crop which was to be harvested in November was damaged due to unseasonal rains last month. The damage has been mainly incurred in the areas of R S Pura, Bishnah and some areas of Samba and Kathua district as Basmati is harvested late.
However, the sources in Agriculture Department admitted that from 50 to 90 percent Basmati crop has been damaged in RS Pura, Bishnah and Akhnoor Sector of Jammu district while the loss in other districts is about 50 percent. The famers while expressing serious concern over the loss held demonstrations in different parts of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts demanding compensation for the losses suffered by them.
The farmers said that not only their Kharif crop of Basmati was damaged but also there could not have a good harvest of Rabi crop as the wheat seed germination in the areas where it was sown in the month of November and December has failed due to heavy rains and the seed could not be sown later in other areas due to lot of moisture in the soil.
The experts in the field of agriculture also said that there can’t be re-sowing of Rabi crop as re-sowing of the seed is not considered as a good omen by the Agriculturists which has worried the farmers most. Another major worry which gripped the farming community especially in Jammu region is failure of the Agriculture Department to make crop insurance under much talked about Fasal Bhima Yojna of Prime Minister this year under which they could claim the compensation of losses to some extent.
Sources said the failure of the Agriculture Department to make the crop insurance this year has generated a lot of resentment among the farming community and some Kissan orgnanisations of the region have taken up the issue with higher ups in New Delhi also. The Kissan Council Jammu alleged that this was deliberately done by the authorities who wanted farming community of the region to be deprived of the same.
It may be recalled that in Kashmir valley, apple fruit also suffered a heavy damage due to early snowfall in November as a major portion of the apple fruit was lying on trees in orchards and the growers had not plucked it after some terrorist organizations had warned against the same.
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