MULTAN City News

Rain-hit growers demand compensation

From Our Correspondent

MULTAN: Growers of south Punjab Saturday demanded the government compensate them as their fodder, mango orchards and crop of wheat have been damaged by hailstorm and rainstorm.

In a statement, the peasants called on the government to declare rain and hailstorm affected union councils of district Multan and its adjacent areas as the calamity-hit areas and compensate the affectees.

On Friday night hailstorm hit Multan and its adjoining areas and destroyed crops standing on 55,710 acres of land. The loss was indicated in a report of the agriculture department.

The peasants, including Malik Saleem Channar, Wahid Buksh Arian and Malik Kashif, urged the government to compensate them and defer their Rabi crops’ loans. Mango Growers Association president Tariq Khan expressed solidarity with the farmers of the rain-hit areas and stressed the need of a waiver regarding Abiana and small loans of the growers.