Hakeem seeks relief for lock down hit farmers & control on prices of essential

Srinagar / May 27:- 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.