PDP slams Govt for delay in compensating fruit growers

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Feb 21: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice President Abdul Rahman Veeri today slammed the State authorities over inordinate delay being done to mitigate the losses of the fruit growers whose orchards were damaged due to untimely snowfall last year in November.
In a statement issued here, Veeri said the more than three months have passed and the fruit growers have been left in lurch by the government as the losses they had to face due to inclement whether haven’t been mitigated.
“The already aggrieved fruit growers are being compelled to move from pillar to post for the relief announced months ago by the Government. The concerned Deputy Commissioners pass the buck, saying  entire money hasn’t yet come for the disbursement. There are apprehensions among the fruit growers that the promises made by the government to mitigate their losses would prove nothing but mere hoax in the end,” Veeri said, urging upon the Government to immediately disburse the money to the affected orchardists so that they can put their livelihood back on track at an earliest.
The PDP vice president said further that the fruit growers are still anxiously waiting for the compensation which was promised to them by the Government against the massive damage caused to the orchards due to untimely snowfall in November’s first week.
The State Administration needs to address these concerns of the famers and ensure the timely disbursement of the compensation as the Horticulture sector in Valley suffered no less than a thousand crore loss due to that catastrophic snowfall, Veeri said.