Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 5: Senior vice president of Peoples Conference and former Minister Abdul Gani Vakil today demanded a special package for the fruit growers and apple traders.
Apple traders have faced massive losses in the recent past because of unexpected heavy snow fall, hailstorms and now due to COVID-19 Pandemic, Vakil said in a statement and stressed upon the UT Government to come up with comprehensive compensation plan for the orchardists and farmers who have suffered losses.
The former Minister said that whenever natural calamities cause damage to the fruit and crops, the worse affected are assured compensation and even surveys are conducted but no relief reaches to them. He said it is the time when Government needs to stand firmly behind our fruit growers as fruit industry is the backbone of our economy and provides livelihood to thousands of families.
Vakil also expressed concern over the untimely fall of apple blossom. “The reason being is substandard pesticides provided to fruit growers in the market where the Government failed to check the quality of pesticides that lead to untimely fall of apple blossom,” he added.
“Although Governments in the past and now has many times assured waiving off KCC loans but nothing has been done in this direction till today. Fruit growers are waiting eagerly Government’s decision for waiving off KCC loan but it is unfortunate that Government is just silent spectator on the issue and are paying no heed towards the hardships of the people,” he regretted.
Vakil appealed both Centre and the UT Government to take every step to save the fruit industry otherwise thousands of people will loose their livelihood and at the same time backbone of our economy will get destroyed and it will add in the economic crisis of J&K.
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