Officers ‘demand’ 50% of relief from Jind rain-hit farmers

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jind, July 1

Rain-hit farmers of the district’s Bhameva village has alleged Revenue Department officers gave them unsigned cheques and demanded 50 per cent of the relief amount to sign the cheques.

They submitted copies of unsigned relief cheques to the DC’s office here today. All cheques are issued from the Bank of India.

Inder Singh and Parkash received unsigned cheques for Rs29,625 each, Narender got a cheque for Rs28,500, while Virender Singh, Rajpal and Balvir Singh received cheques for Rs17,680 each.

Virender and Naveen alleged officers had been pocketing 50 per cent amount of the relief amount. “If someone refuses, officers cancel their cheques on flimsy grounds,” Virender said.

“Not in Bhameva alone, majority of the villages in Pillukhera tehsil are bearing the brunt of officers’ demand. We request Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to order a probe and against officers concerned,” Naveen said.

As per record, rain and hailstorm damaged wheat crop and vegetables spread over 67,550 acres in the district. As per the assessment, the government released Rs61.04 crores as compensation to the district administration.

Pillukhera naib tehsildar Rajinder Singh said unsigned cheques cannot be distributed. He, however, denied the allegation of corruption against revenue officers.

“There is no illegality in the distribution of relief cheques as I have been supervising the work,” he said.

Crop damage has been divided into three categories. For crop loss between 25 per cent and 50 per cent, government has paid to pay Rs7,000 per acre; for damage 50 per cent and 75 percent, the government has paid Rs 9,500 per acre; and for loss above 75 per cent, Rs12,000 per acre has been paid.