Jammu Tawi, May 9: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Chairman Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday urged the Jammu Kashmir administration to airlift the essential commodities for the stranded nomads (Gujjar and Bakerwal community) due to unexpected snowfall and rain on upper reaches of remote belts in hilly terrains of Jammu and Kashmir.
Azad in a statement said that it was unfortunate that people from the Gujjar and Bakerwal community are left stranded at upper reaches due to untimely snowfall in Margantop Wardwan Valley, Dakshum Sinthantop, Pahalgam Chandanwardi, Peer Ki Gali, Banihal Upper Reaches, Warwan, Nandimarg, Sonamarg, Patnitop, Paddar, Mardwa, Mahu Mangit and other areas.
“They are running short of essential commodities and I appeal to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene on humanitarian grounds and order the airlifting of essential commodities,” he said.
Azad said the people who suffered crop loss due to hailstorm in various parts of Kashmir shall also be compensated and added, “in various parts of Kashmir valley, the hailstorm has damaged the crop of mustard oil and the government shall compensate it so that farmers won't be in distress.”
He said, the paddy crop has been hit hardest, and many farmers will need to replant their crops, the government must stand by the farmers who suffered losses of paddy grains due to the adverse weather conditions.
“They should be adequately compensated and provided with the paddy seed so that they could replant the crops,” he stated.
