Baramulla May 13 (KNS):  Senior vice-president  Peoples Conference (PC) and former minister Abdul Gani Vakil today visited several villages of Rafiabad and Sopore including Panzalla, Shutloo, Doabgah, Watlab, Muqamsharief and Behrampora. While addressing party workers meetings Vakil expressed concern and anguish on what he termed as the step motherly treatment of the administration towards fruit industry of Kashmir, and said the present J&K dispensation, including  the central government, has ignored fruit industry in Kashmir and no steps have been taken to boost the industry by incentives to fruit growers. He said fruit industry have suffered heavily for the last several years due to natural calamities and negligence of the present administration. It is surprising UT administration and especially central government has turned a deaf ear to the demands of fruit growers although it is the need of the hour that both governments should have come forward to provide every type of assistance and help to revive the industry as the thousands of people are attached to the industry, by getting a livelihood.

Vakil alleged that the Government although assured fruit growers special package, adequate compensation of losses of fruit orchards but it is surprising and unfortunate that it has failed to fullfill its promises and thereby added to the miseries of fruit growers and traders. He urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to take the important issue of huge losses to fruit growers with the central Government with the strong recommendations of sanctioning of special economic package including waiving of KCC loan.(KNS)