Sukhbir Badal visits flood-hit areas, meets farmers

Sukhbir said similarly marginal farmers growing vegetables had been devastated with their entire produce being destroyed

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday reviewed flood-hit areas in Banga, Balachaur and Anandpur Sahib for providing immediate aid to distressed people, even as he urged SAD workers to redouble their efforts to assist those in need of food, fodder and medical aid.

The SAD president said people were looking towards the AAP government to provide immediate relief instead of making meaningless statements. (HT Photo)

The SAD president, who rode a tractor to reach the severely affected villages, said the havoc caused to the farming community was unimaginable: “Paddy has been destroyed in over thousands of acres and farmers are looking towards a bleak future with no time to raise paddy nursery again for transplantation.”

He said similarly marginal farmers growing vegetables had been devastated with their entire produce being destroyed.

Badal said farmers had approached him and demanded that bank loans they had taken to raise their paddy crop should be taken forward and the interest should be waived. “This is a genuine demand and should be met with immediately,” he added.

The SAD president said people were looking towards the AAP government to provide immediate relief instead of making meaningless statements.

“ ₹5 lakh each should be released to all whose houses have been damaged, while farmers should be given an interim relief of ₹25,000 per acre before girdwari,” he demanded.

Badal also asked the AAP government to approach the central government and prevail upon it to declare the current situation a natural calamity in order to avail of funds under the National Disaster Management Fund.