Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 3: Former minister and senior Congress leader Mula Ram and District Congress Committee, president for Jammu (Rural) Hari Singh Chib today urged upon the J&K Administration to provide compensation to the farmers whose crops were damaged and who suffered due to lockdown over Covid-19.
In a joint press statement these senior Congress leaders expressed serious concern over the problems being faced by the farmers due to Covid-19 with the strict enforcement of countrywide lockdown. They said that the farmers feel totally ignored by local administration in recent grim scenario where the small vegetable growers and dairy farm owners face hardships to sell their produce as compared to other states. They mentioned that the crops of many farmers have not reached to the markets during lockdown.
They also sought adequate compensation for the losses being suffered by farmers due to lockdown and damage caused to the crop due to rains and hailstorm in the recent past. The Government should also provide free ration for next six months, waive of their loans and also remit the installments of their loans related to farm machinery and tractors, they maintained.
The Congress leaders further demanded that Government should take all measures to bring back all residents of Jammu and Kashmir who are stranded in various states of the country. They said that the process of evacuation, especially of poor migrant labourers and students and the cooperation between the states and Jammu and Kashmir Government is very significant and crucial in such crisis. Several stranded students and migrant labourers had contacted them telephonically and apprised their woes due to lockdown and the problems being faced by them in the hour of crisis.
They pointed out that many of these stranded migrant labourers and students have no money for their survival in terms of food, rent and travel. It is the duty of respective State and Union Territory Governments to provide financial help so that these stranded people could reach their home safely after strictly following the Covid-19 protocol.
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