Raising the issue of farmers suffering huge losses on account of recent rain, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday sought the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for upward revision of the compensation announced for them to a rate of Rs 10,000 per acre.
In separate letters to Mr. Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, the Chief Minister said a large number of farmers suffered heavy losses as Punjab and its neighbouring States experienced widespread rain over the past few days with the average rainfall being 42 cm on March 1 and 2.
Mr. Badal said the intensity and frequency of rain coupled with high velocity winds and hailstorm have caused substantial damage to the crops. He said initial reports have indicated that over 7 lakh acres of cultivated area has been affected and the damage was much higher in the case of vegetables and other horticulture crops.
With the Rabi crops almost ready, he said farmers have incurred almost full input cost in raising them and have suffered serious financial loss due to the rain.
In view of the situation, he said the relief norms need to be adequate, adding that the present norm of Rs 3,600 per acre for 100 per cent loss was too inadequate as it does not even provide for the input cost of farmers. “We need to ensure compensation for some minimum possible cost of living also to make up for the loss of livelihood to the farmers” he said
The Chief Minister therefore requested the Prime Minister to ask the Ministry of Agriculture to revise the existing norms to provide for a minimum compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre to the affected farmers.
