With Kashmir’s fruit growers reeling under massive losses from the prolonged closure of the National Highway, Apni Party on Wednesday urged the Union government to roll out a comprehensive compensation package for the struggling horticulture and as well as tourism sectors.
The party also demanded a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for perishable fruits like apples, to safeguard growers’ produce and secure their livelihoods.
These demands were put forward today by former legislator and party spokesperson Yawar Dilawar Mir during a press conference at the Apni Party headquarters in Srinagar.
Drawing attention to the heavy losses caused by the closure of the highway and taking a dig at both the Centre and the UT administrations, Yawar Mir remarked, “We had been assured that there would be a new Kashmir—in terms of progress and development. We had also been assured by the Prime Minister that “dil ki doori aur Dilli ki doori” (distance between hearts and distance between New Delhi and J&K) would be bridged. But if we have to gauge the distance today, we can see that sending a fruit-laden truck from Srinagar to Delhi takes about a month these days, simply because of the deplorable condition of a patch of NH44.”
“Our fruit growers, transporters, and traders are facing huge losses. Nearly eighty percent of the fruits loaded in the trucks stranded on the highway have already spoiled. Our hearts weep at seeing this situation. Unfortunately, both the central government as well as the NC-Congress coalition government in J&K are in deep slumber, paying no heed to the affected people,” he added.
Urging the Union government to provide adequate compensation to those affected in the horticulture and tourism industries, Yawar Mir said, “The horticulture sector is the backbone of our economy, and so is the tourism sector. Both have been deeply damaged this year. We lost tourism due to the Pahalgam terror attack, and our fruit was spoiled because of the closure of the highway. As far as the highway is concerned, accountability must be fixed on those responsible for the condition of the road.”
He went on to say, “We are not begging, but the fact remains that our growers have been suffering losses due to the government’s failures. Therefore, the government must mitigate the losses that occurred as a result of its negligence. Compensation must be provided to the sufferers whose apple produce was spoiled on the highway while waiting for it to reopen. A proper assessment of the losses must be carried out to ensure adequate compensation for those affected.”
He also demanded a waiver of KCC loans in order to rehabilitate the growers, who are presently grappling with their losses and are unable to repay their debts.
