Waive off KCC loans to hailstorm hit farmers in Budgam areas : Hakeem tells JK Govt

Srinagar/May,3:-. Chairman Peoples Democratic Front and former minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen on Sunday sought KCC loan waiver to farmer hit by hailstorm in the night intervening Saturday and Sunday.
Stating that heavy hailstorm Saturday evening wrecked havoc as it damaged crops in several parts of the valley particularly in Khansahib, Budgam , Hakeem in a statement here on Sunday urged Lieutenant Governor G . C . Marmu to sanction adequate relief to the affected farmers immediately .Saying that high intensity hailstorm storm hit many areas of the Kashmir valley including Khansahib Budgam on Saturday evening and extensive damage to the crops thereby inflicting heavy financial losses on the fruit growers , Hakeem said the damage caused to the fresh crops due to the hailstorm has given another serious below to the livelihood of the farming community whose financial conditions were already under tremendous stress from last year post August 5, situation . He said untimely snow fall in November last year had already broken the back of fruit growers and traders adding that fresh hailstorm has added to their miseries.
Hakeem urged the government to come to the rescue of the affected farmers and fruit growers of the valley and waive off their KCC loans immediately so that they can have a sigh of relief to some extent. He has asked the government to depute joint teams of horticulture and revenue departments to various hailstorm hit areas in the kashmirt valley to give technical guidance to the farmers and also to assess the quantum of losses so that relief and compensation measures are worked out accordingly in favour of the hailstorm affected fruit growers . ” While kissan Credit Card ( KCC) loan loan waiver would give respite to the affected fruit growers to some extent ,” they should also be provided free fertilizers , hybrid seeds and other agriculture inputs so that they could carry alternate farm practices , ” Hakeem Yaseen added.
PDF Chairman has said that the farming community especially fruit growers and traders have become the first causality of the unfavorable conditions in the state , post August 5 ,2019 situation , followed by untimely snow fall in November last and now due to adverse effects of the countrywide Coronavirus lockdown . He said the fruit traders are bearing the brunt of prevailing lockdown , as they were unable to sell thier fruit consignments placed in various cold stores of the country and got perished in the stores.
Hakeem Yaseen said that it was the paramount duty of the government to come to the rescue of the fruit growers of the valley who are passing through a difficult phase of financial crisis .