Harsimrat Kaur Badal terms whitefly attack 'natural calamity'

Terming damage to the cotton crop due to whitefly attack a "natural calamity", Union minister for food processing and member of Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal assured the farmers of taking up their concerns with the Union government.

Terming damage to the cotton crop due to whitefly attack a "natural calamity", Union minister for food processing and member of Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal assured the farmers of taking up their concerns with the Union government.

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Though chief minister Parkash Singh Badal has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi apprising him about the damage to the cotton crop, Harsimrat will seek compensation for the farmers from the Union government.

"While the Punjab government was making efforts to bailout the farmers, I will also raise the issue with the central government," Harsimrat said during a sangat darshan programme at villages in Bathinda district on Thursday.

She said cotton farmers would be adequately compensated for the losses incurred due to the natural calamity. "The government has ordered a special girdawari to assess the damage to the cotton crop due to the whitefly attack and the farmers will be given compensation once the survey is over," Harsimrat said. Speaking to the cotton farmers at Kotli Sabo village, Harsimrat said teams of the Union government would soon visit Punjab to assess the loss.