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Pink bollworm attack: SAD to hold protest in Bathinda on Oct 3 in support of cotton growers
SAD chief Sukhbir Badal demands release of ₹50,000 per acre compensation to farmers whose cotton crop was damaged to infestation
Notwithstanding the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders to all political parties to suspend public programmes in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday announced a mega protest rally in Bathinda on October 3 in support of cotton growers.
After visiting several villages in Bathinda, Sukhbir on Saturday said the party demands immediate release of ₹50,000 per acre compensation to farmers whose standing cotton crop was damaged to an infestation of pink bollworm. He said more than 80% of cotton crop has been damaged but the Punjab government has failed to sense the crisis faced by farmers.
He batted for a crop insurance scheme in Punjab to protect the interest of the agrarian community.
“Volume of infestation hints at large scale availability of spurious Bt cotton seeds. The Punjab government should order a probe on how the spurious seeds landed in the state. Rural economy is on the verge of collapse as cotton growers are left with no resources for the next crop,” he said, while demanding a compensation of ₹15,000 each to farm labourers.
The call of protest on October 3 has a political significance amid a standoff between the SAD and farmer unions over holding political activities.
The event will be held after a month when SAD had to stop all political programmes after SKM activists created a ruckus at Sukhbir’s rally in Moga on September 3.
In the last few months, Sukhbir and Bathinda Lok Sabha MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had to abandon their scheduled visits in villages due to strong opposition from the farmer unions. However, on Saturday, Sukhbir was able to make inroads in the rural areas without any resistance. He visited six villages of Bathinda and Mansa districts.
While a section of farmer union activists showed black flags at Sukhbir’s motorcade at Sekhpura village, a number of farmers gathered to welcome SAD president.
Lachhman Singh, whose 5-acre crop was affected, said they gathered to welcome Sukhbir to raise the voice of the distressed farmers.
Similarly, a large number of farmers at Jajjal, Jaga Ram Tirath and Jhanda Khurd gathered to welcome the SAD chief.
3.25 lakh hectares under cotton cultivation in state
A total of 3.25 lakh hectares is under cotton cultivation in Punjab. Nearly 40% of the area under the crop in Bathinda (95,000 hectares) and Mansa (65,000 hectares) is under the pest attack, said the chief agriculture officer (CAO) Manjit Singh for two districts. He said the district administrations have orders girdawri to assess crop loss.
Fazilka has an estimated 96,000 hectares and no pest attack was reported till Saturday, said CAO Hardev Singh.
Muktsar CAO Charanjit Kainth said of 40,000 hectares in the district, pink bollworm was detected in only two fields of Gidderbaha and Lambi areas and the situation there is under control.
