CM promises steps to compensate horticulturists

Shimla, May 3 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today promised steps to provide compensation to the horticulturists whose crops were damaged due to hailstorm in the state recently.

Besides crop insurance scheme, relief manual has been revised in the state to provide compensation to the farmers and horticulturists, he told a delegation of fruit growers from Jubbal and Kotkhai that called on him here.

Mr Singh said in this specific case the fruit growers had not insured their crops under the crop insurance scheme, which could provide them suitable compensation for the loss of crops due to natural calamities.

Himachal was popularly known as the apple state of the country and was poised to emerge the fruit bowl in the near future, he said.

Observing that horticultural activities had increased substantially in different agro climatic conditions, he said people were adopting modern techniques to cultivate high yielding varieties of fruits to boost their economy.

UNI