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Compensate Punjab farmers for crop loss: Navjot Sidhu reminds Arvind Kejriwal of poll promise
Former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu said the wheat yield has dipped by 20 to 25 percent and Arvind Kejriwal should deliver the compensation
: Former president of Punjab Congress Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal to deliver on his promise to compensate the state’s farmers, who have suffered huge losses due to dip in the wheat yield and damage to the crop from field fires.
Sidhu, along with former Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri and other supporters, visited dana mandi at Jandiala Guru in the vicinity of the holy city to redress the grievances of the farmers who came to sell their produce.
“Kejriwal always remains in election mode. From 2015 to 2021, he did not remember the farmers of Punjab. During elections, he announced that they would grant compensation of Rs. 50,000 per hectare if any crop gets destroyed,” Sidhu said.
“I am reminding Kejriwal of his announcement. Now, when the yield has dipped by 20 to 25 percent, he should deliver this compensation. The MSP should also be increased to give some respite to the farmers,” he added.
Sidhu said that a farmer shoulders the entire risk such as weather fluctuations, seed and fertilisers quality, inflation, and “when its time to share the profits, the government seems to be abetting crony capitalists at the expense of poor farmers. The profit should also be shared with the growers.”
Sidhu said that he visited Machhiwara dana mandi on Friday where the farmers informed him about dip in the wheat yield and decrease in the quality of the grain due to early rise in temperature. He said that the farmers asked him to raise the issue of compensation to the farmers for this loss.
“This issue is genuine because there is a shortage of wheat in the world market due to the Ukraine-Russia war. With this shortage, prices of the wheat have risen by Rs. 2,000 per quintal. Today, at least 50-60 farmers from various parts of Punjab met me and shared their grievances with me,” he said, adding that scores of farmers have suffered loses as standing wheat on around 500-600 acres have burnt due to fires.
On the issue of free electricity announced by CM Bhagwant Mann, he said, “I will call the AAP leaders fraudster. Before the elections, they announced that the consumer will not have to pay for the entire consumption if the units exceed 600 in two months. Now, he has changed. The consumers belonging to general category will have to pay for entire consumption if the units exceed 600 in two months. This is clear cut cheating with the people”.
“In Haryana, the farmers were asked to sell their produce to the Adani group which will further sell it to Egypt at a much bigger price. This is loot of the farmers. The farmers should be made partners in the export of the wheat to other countries,” he said.