Punjab Govt hikes compensation for damaged crops

Chandigarh, June 20: Coming to the aid of farmers whose crops have been damaged by natural calamity, Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government has enhanced the compensation to Rs. 12000 per acre. The decision will be implemented from June 20, 2017. This is a 50 per cent hike over the earlier compensation.

Punjab Revenue Minister Mr. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria on Wednesday said the state government has enhanced the compensation for damaged crops of 76 to 100 per cent due to the inclement weather from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 12000 per acre. The enhanced compensation had come as a big relief to farmers who had suffered heavy crop damage due to the bad weather, he added. Notably, the compensation was earlier enhanced to Rs. 8000 per acre for damaged crop of 76 to 100 per cent on April 1, 2015.

Meanwhile, giving further details the Additional Chief Secretary-cum-FCR Mrs. Vini Mahajan, said the government was giving Rs. 2000 per acre for damaged crop of 26 to 32 per cent and Rs. 5400 per acre for damaged crop of 33 to 75 per cent.

Mr. Sarkaria said the state government is fully committed to ensure welfare of the farmers and doing everything possible to bail them out from the current agrarian crisis. He further said that Punjab government has already launched debt waiver scheme.

To uplift the peasant community, the Minister demanded, the Centre should implement the Swaminathan Commission report in letter and spirit under which the MSP is to be determined at the cost of production plus 50 percent.