ITANAGAR, Oct 1: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has asked the state government to carry out a comprehensive statewide survey of the damages incurred by those engaged in farming and allied activities due to floods, landslides, rainfall and pests.
It sought a separate relief and rehabilitation package for the farmers, coverage under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, and a new crop insurance scheme for the farmers by the state government.
Chiding the BJP government and the Congress for their aggressive and confrontational attitude towards the recently passed farmers’ bills by the Centre by issuing pro and anti bill statements, the union said that “the BJP government and the Congress have conveniently forgotten about the problems faced by the farmers in their own state who have faced large-scale damages across the state due to insect pests epidemic, continuous rainfalls, and natural calamities like landslides and floods.”
Standing crops have been damaged in East Siang, Siang, Upper Siang and parts of Namsai, Changlang and Papum Pare due to insect pest infestation, while farmlands in Leparada and West Siang have been completely damaged due to floods and landslides, it said, adding that agro-horti productions are likely to be affected in various parts of the state due to the sudden cloudbursts and continuous rainfall.
“Natural calamities have wreaked havoc in their (farmers) lives in addition to Covid-19 induced sufferings,” the union said, adding that there is no separate relief and rehabilitation measure for the farmers of the state. “The relief amount, if any disbursed, are very meagre,” it added.
“The problems faced by the farming community have to be addressed in a serious and proactive manner,” the union said.
