Shopian growers say snow damage compensation insufficient

Reimbursing Rs 900 per Kanal, not enough to by ropes for tying damaged branches

Shopian growers say snow damage compensation insufficient

Shopian: Hoping to receive substantial compensation for the losses suffered to orchards by snow in November last year, growers in Shopian say that they are offered a meager amount, insufficient to purchase ropes for damaged trees.
A Rs 900 compensation for Kanal of land is being offered to the fruit growers who will be receiving its first installment, that according to growers is making “mockery of their agony.”
Magray Mansoor, a known social worker from district Shopian said that the present administration has ignored the farmer community by paying a scant amount.
“There were huge losses and orchardists should at least have got on amount that could have helped them in mitigating the damages caused in the orchards,” he said.
A grower even having small land holding would have spent several times an amount on purchase of ropes, wired or bolds to retrofit some of the damaged trees,” he said adding that the government should have applied more resources to check what kind of compensation could have benefited each grower.
Another grower said that government will give Rs 18,000 to a grower who suffered loss to a hectare of land.
“Government is well versed that what produce a hectare of land delivers to a grower , even a minimal loss of a tree will not be compensated by the amount,” he said lamenting that fact that each grower should have been compensated equitably and not made to wait for money.
A revenue official in Shopian told Kashmir Reader that only Rs 9 crore are lying with the Shopian authorities for compensation they have started crediting the amount to the orchardists accounts.
“A compensation of Rs 900 per kanal has been sanctioned and a person will get a minimum amount of Rs 2000, the rest will be calculated on the land he holds,” he said Adding that aminimum sum of Rs 2000 is being given in the first installment and after it is over, the remaining amount will be credited as per his land holding.
Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Choudary Mohammad Yasin told Kashmir Reader that the first installment will be of Rs 2000 and the rest amount will be paid in other installments.
“Rs 18 thousands per hectare will be credited to the orchardists in installments,” he said.

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