The Punjab Government has sought a Rs.717 crore relief package from the Centre for its farmers who had suffered loss of standing Rabi crops due to unseasonal rain and hail recently.
In the letter to the Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India, the Commissioner Agriculture of Punjab Balwinder Singh Sidhu has urged the Centre to grant this compensation as it would not only encourage the farmers in this hour of crisis but would lead them to work harder for ensuring food security of the nation.
As per the proposal submitted to the Centre for seeking special relief package to grant compensation to the farmers, the State has projected that standing crop worth Rs 717 crore was damaged over an area of 294,177 hectares.
It has noted that in case of field crops the loss was spread over 260,000 hectares and totalled Rs. 628 crore; in case of fodder crops the damage was spread over 24,000 hectares and was worth Rs. 46 crore whereas in case of horticulture crops it was spread over 10,177 hectares and amounted to Rs. 43 crore.
The letter has also mentioned that in order to compensate the farmers for the losses suffered, a compensation at the rate of Rs.3600 per acre was being provided by the State Government. But it said in view of the high input cost incurred by the farmers and excessive damage to Rabi crops, the compensation needs to be enhanced to Rs.10,000 per acre.
The Punjab government has further pleaded that the compensation to the farmers should be given for the loss suffered by them for their standing Rabi crops and cited the norms of assistance prescribed by the Ministry of Home Affairs vide their letter dated November 28, 2013 detailing the norms for providing assistance to small and marginal farmers in inputs subsidy to farmers where crop loss is 50 per cent or more.
