Langate, November 05 (KNO) : Appealing government to wake up from deep slumbers, AIP President, Er Rasheed on Monday sought considerable package for fruit growers all across the valley, who have suffered huge losses to their orchards due to sudden snowfall. After visiting different areas of snow hit Langate areas, Er Rasheed as per a statement issued to KNO said, “The tradition in the past has been that whenever such calamity takes place, revenue and horticulture authorities carryout a comprehensive survey but nothing is paid to the fruit growers or formers at the end.”He said that the government keeps itself confined towards only and engages people in loss assessment process which ends at utter disappointment. “However this time not only the losses are huge but damage caused to fruit trees is itself beyond imagination,” he said. Er Rasheed added that “while Governor’s revelation that fruit growers will be compensated is a welcome move but we need not to forget that in the past successive governments have made promises only to break them.” He also reminded that if state government and prestigious institutions like J&K Bank could help in rehabilitation of Kerala flood hit victims and even compel the state government employee to donate one day’s salary for the cause, why should not central government come to the rescue of state government as fruit industry is the backbone of state economy. AIP president urged government to declare huge the damages caused as natural calamity so that fruit growers and orchard owners can be compensated more properly and in stipulated time.(KNO)