Declare HP drought-prone, says CPM

Shimla, Jun 1 (UNI) Demanding adequate compensation to the farmers whose crops had been damaged due to drought conditions prevailing in Himachal Pradesh, the state unit of the CPM today said the state should be declared drought affected.

While 60 per cent of the Rabi crop was damaged due to long dry spells, 75 per cent of the apple crop in the state had been damaged due to recent hailstorm, party's state secretariat member Tikender Singh Panwar said in a release here.

He said the hardest hit of the state have been Jhanjheli in Mandi district, Kotkhai, Rampur and Rohru region in Shimla district, besides part parts of Kullu district.

The tomato and vegetable growing farmers of Theog area of Shimla district and Solan district were also affected due to the hailstorm and adequate compensation should be provided to them, he said.

Demanding government intervention in speeding up the survey of the extent of damage to the crops this year, Mr Panwar said the pending loans of the farmers should also be waived off keeping in view the gravity of the situation.

UNI AS HS VD KP2122