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MPs Vikramjit, Harsimrat write to Union agri minister, seek spl package for farmers
In a letter to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney claimed that preliminary assessments indicated crop damage between 30% and 70% across the state
Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Monday urged the Union government to immediately announce a special compensation package for farmers in Punjab who are facing severe losses due to recent unseasonal rains, hailstorms and strong winds.
In a letter to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Sahney claimed that preliminary assessments indicated crop damage between 30% and 70% across the state. “With over 34 lakh hectares under wheat cultivation, the scale of devastation is immense and deeply concerning for the agrarian economy,” he said, appreciating the Punjab government’s decision to order a special girdawari to assess losses.
Senior SAD leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, through a letter, also urged the Union agriculture minister to send a special team to Punjab to assess the damage and release a special compensation package.
She further appealed to him to issue directions to defer interest on loans taken by affected farmers from cooperative societies for one year, besides issuing fertilisers to these farmers on concessional rates. “This will go a long way in helping them get back on their feet,” she added.
Meanwhile, party leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded immediate compensation of ₹50,000 per acre from the state government. He also urged the government to bring a law in the upcoming assembly session to ensure compensation not just for crops but also for losses to fruits, flowers and vegetables.
Girdawari will serve no purpose: Warring
Issuing a statement, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the standard “token announcement” by the state government to conduct girdawari of the damaged crops will not serve any purpose and was meant to just mislead farmers.
He questioned what was to be surveyed when the crops over entire fields were lying flattened. He said if the state government’s intentions were clear, it will provide immediate interim relief to the farmers and not wait for survey reports.
The Ludhiana MP said he had written to Union minister Chouhan and will be meeting him in Delhi for immediate assistance after visiting the affected areas.
“Farmers cannot wait for the state government’s survey. Nobody knows when the survey will be completed and when will the compensation be paid when the past experience has been ‘disappointing’,” he said.
