Raising the issues affecting farmers in the state, the Uttarakhand Kisan Sabha (UKS) put forward its fundamental demands largely concerning the damage done to the properties, fields and domestic animals of farmers by monkeys, wild boars and other wild animals.
At a gathering held here on Sunday, the UKS leader said that the Central Government had declared monkeys as vermin in Himachal Pradesh, allowing the culling of monkeys there. The same should be applied in Uttarakhand for monkeys and wild boars which damage or destroy the crops and property of farmers.
Further, the UKS leaders demanded that farmers should be compensated as per the market value for the damage to crops and domestic animals killed by the wild animals. The farmers should be provided with free insurance for their crops too.
Moreover, the UKS also demanded that the government should lift the restrictions over the cattle trade as it has drastically affected those who earn their living by dairy farming, meat selling and leather industry.
The issue of animals destroying the harvest of farmers and monkeys making the life of people harder in the region was also raised in the last board meeting of Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD).
The Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ had responded by stating that a cattle shelter is nearly ready and the stray cattle will be shifted there soon, recalled the UKS leaders.
The general secretary of Himachal Pradesh Kisan Sabha and its members were also present on the occasion.