हिंदी
(Bikram S Majithia says recent rains during past two days had further damaged standing wheat crop and demanded farmers be paid complete compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre)
Chandigarh, March 31 – The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today lambasted chief minister Bhagwant Mann for turning a blind eye towards farmers and reneging on his promise to provide interim compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre before girdawari in case of destruction of their crops due to natural calamities.
In a statement here, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said heavy rains during the last two days had further damaged standing wheat crops in the State with farmers facing a catastrophe. He said it was inhuman that the chief minister had turned this tragedy also into a photo op by announcing a paltry compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre for farmers facing near total damage of their wheat crop but doing nothing to mitigate their suffering immediately. “The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised in its election manifesto that it would give a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre before girdwari was conducted to assess damage to provide immediate succor to farmers”.
Asking the chief minister to make good on his promise, Mr Bikram Majithia demanded the AAP government release an interim compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre to all farmers whose wheat crop had been damaged because of inclement weather since the last two days as well as hailstorms and heavy rains one week earlier. “The final compensation, which should total Rs 50,000 per acre in all including the interim compensation, can be released once the girdawari is completed”, he added.
Mr Majithia said it was shocking that instead of helping farmers the chief minister believed in making announcements only. He said farmers were already awaiting compensation for damage to wheat and cotton crops last year. “Now a third compensation has been announced but there is no guarantee it will reach farmers”. He said it was unfortunate that the chief minister had also failed to take up the case for declaring the recent hail storms and heavy rains which had lashed the State as a natural calamity in order to avail grant under this head from the central government.
The SAD leader also expressed solidarity with farmers who have rejected the paltry compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre for damage of wheat crop announced by the chief minister recently. He said besides upping compensation for land owners, a provision should also be made to compensate lease holders who had suffered huge losses. He also demanded that the interim compensation be released immediately by putting a cut on the Rs 750 crore advertisement budget.
