J&K's Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed today asked the Centre to announce a comprehensive debt relief package for the growers whose miseries and difficulties of the last four years have been compounded by the devastating floods.
To compensate the losses in agriculture and horticulture sectors, the state government must formulate a comprehensive horticulture plan, aimed at getting debt relief from the Centre and RBI on the loans for growers and changing the orchard pattern and structure with focus on high yielding plantation, Sayeed said addressing PDP workers from Wachi Assembly segment.
The former Chief Minister also called for market intervention by the Union and State Governments to ensure that the costs of conducting horticulture business, which have dramatically shot up, is subsidised for this season.
"A part of the freight for transporting apples out of the state must be provided by the state. Otherwise, the sale of apples will be unviable and will cripple this key sector," he said.
He said the agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme of 2008, which hardly benefitted J&K, must be run for one year in the state.
"Out of the Rs 72,000 crore debt relief to farmers in the country, J&K farmers benefitted only about Rs 300 crore," he said.
Extension of the Scheme for another year would make up for the injustices to the farmers and growers of the state who are now in dire straits, he added.
Sayeed also demanded providing free rations for at least one year to the farmers whose paddy crop has been destroyed by the floods.
