Srinagar: Appreciating the concern shown by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha towards plight of Covid- affected families and Covid- lock down hit people under tourism sector , Chairman People’s Democratic Front ( PDF) Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has urged the need for a comprehensive relief package for affected farming community also . He said covid lock down coupled with massive hail storm in various areas of Jammu and Kashmir has severely affected all prospects of agriculture and fruit activities , leaving livelihood of lakhs of farmers in lurch.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Hakeem while hailing relief measures initiated by LG for Covid-19 affected people including the poor strata of tourism sector,demanded a comprehensive relief package for the poor farming community. He said due to lock down almost all the farmers and fruit growers are unable to market thier produce. “Farmers are facing tremendous difficulties in marketing thier Cherry produce due to continuous lock down,Hakeem said adding that livelihood of farming community as a whole has been pushed to wall due to prevailing restrictions on movement in the wake of covid pandemic. He said it was imperative to provide immediate relief to the farmers, fruit growers and traders to save their families from starvation.He demanded that free ration announced by the government for only BPL families should be provided to all the households of Jammu and Kashmir up till the pandemic was over. ” Likewise, bank loans of all farmers and fruit growers under KCC scheme should be waived off immediately besides providing them fertilizers ,seeds and other agricultural inputs free of cost, ” Hakeem demanded. He said government should exempt electric and water fees of the people till the situation arising out of Covid pandemic comes to normal . He said due to Covid pandemic people are not able to thier monthly electric bills, loan installments and other taxes .
PDF Chairman has hailed announcement of LG to provide monthly cash assistance to the next of the kin of a dead person due to covid disease and scholarship to thier wards for persuing higher studies. He said the novel pandemic has cast it’s ugly shadow on every section of the society including farming sector, trade , business,transport and tourism who need to be compensated adequately .
Hakeem also urged the need for keeping a cap on prices of essential commodities adding that skyrocketing prices of consumer goods have broken the backbone of consumers. He said government machinery has miserably in its duty to curb prevailing illegal profiteering and black marketing on the open market. ” Existence and accountability of administration was mo where in sight on the ground level, ” Hakeem observed while urging the LG to overhaul the system earnestly.
