Mandi Board chairman assures farmers of relief

Tribune News Service

Patiala, April 21

Assuring all support to farmers whose crop was gutted in Patiala on Friday, Punjab Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh on Saturday met the farmers and assured compensation to them.

In several incidents in Patiala district, around 1,000 acres with stubble and ripe crop was affected due to fire on Friday.

The Chairman, who reached Parod and Mehamdpur, two of the worst-affected villages, said stubble and ripe crop over 600 acres of land were damaged due to fire.

Lal Singh, who visited the charred fields, said he had directed officials to conduct a survey to examine the loss.

The officials said stubble and crops on around 300 acres were destroyed in the two villages. According to the officials, the fire fanned due to the strong winds on Friday.

Before visiting the fields, Lal Singh held a meting with officials to take pro-active measures to help the farmers in saving their livestock and belongings.

Lal Singh said farmers would be made aware 

to avoid any such untoward incidents.

However in the past, the farmers had demanded compensation for crops damaged due to fire, but the district administration denied the same, citing that the government had not introduced any policy under which compensation could have been provided to such claimants.

The farmers complained to the board Chairman that police and fire officials took a long time to reach the spot after getting information.