Nov 03 Snowfall: Farmers await compensation in Shopian
Shopian: Even after more than two months elapsed since the untimely snowfall affected the orchards across the Valley, the government has utterly failed to compensate the orchardists in South Kashmir’s Shopian district here, leaving the distressed farmers wondering.
Locals from Shopian district said that in all other districts compensation has been distributed while as authorities have failed to compensate the affected farmers here so far.
They said that revenue department in coordination with horticulture department assessed the damage but “we haven’t received a single penny so far.”
“Government had made a general assessment, bringing all the orchardists under its list, which was injustice with the orchardists who deserve compensation,” they said, adding that “by bringing all under list will affect the compensation of the deserving ones.”
Waqar Ahmad, a local from Chitragam area of Shopian district said that at least 95 percent people are dependent on Apple cultivation and they have suffered losses in lakhs, therefore providing a meager amount is tantamount to rubbing the salt on the wounds of affected farmers.
As per SDRF laws, the minimum compensation having damage of about 30 percent is rupees four thousand but “we have damage of over 40 percent how can they compensate us with Rs 3600.”
Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Shopian, DrOwais Ahmad said that assessment process has been completed and distribution process is also going on. “We are distributing it as per the funds we have received. We will distribute the compensation once there will be adequate funds available,” he said.
Jahangeer Ganaie
