Relief for Haryana only after overall review, says Paswan

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 31

The Centre has yet again refused to extend special favour to BJP-ruled Haryana by overlooking other states in releasing interim compensation for crop damage caused by unprecedented rain and hailstorm.

A Central delegation led by Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan today made it clear that interim compensation might be given to states only after the Centre took stock of overall damage in the region.

The Union Government has received requests from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh for a compensation package for farmers on account of damage to crop from unexpected rain and hail, besides floods in the Kashmir valley.

Central leaders are visiting northern states to assess the damage to rabi crop before the quantum of relief can be worked out.

While Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh visited Shimla, his deputy minister Sanjeev Balyian accompanied Paswan to Haryana.

In Chandigarh Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa met Paswan to press for the release of Rs 717 crore interim relief for the state.

Paswan said though the Centre was concerned about the plight of farmers, no announcement could be made before the “crop damage in northern states and floods in Jammu and Kashmir are discussed at a Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight”.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had yesterday announced at Sadhaura (Yamunanagar) that the Centre had accepted the state’s request for Rs 500 interim relief, which would be distributed to farmers shortly. Khattar, however, shifted his stance today saying Haryana had submitted a fresh compensation demand for Rs 1,135.91 crore following last night’s rain. This calculation is for the damage up to March 22.

“The damage from rain and hail after that is being assessed and the report will be forwarded to the Centre within a week,” he said.

J&K is demanding immediate release of Rs 209.70 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF).

On relief to Himachal, Radha Mohan Singh in Shimla said out of a proposed recommended release of Rs 170.53 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) and Rs 9 crore from the special component of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), Rs 63 crore had already been released.

Sources said the Union Cabinet was unlikely to announce any relief package tonight for Punjab, Haryana, Himachal or J&K. Compensation, the source said, would only be announced once a final report of the latest damage was available with the Centre.

The Union Cabinet may, however, announce advancing some interim relief to states based on the report that the Central team finally submits to the Prime Minister.

Haryana Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar has put the losses in the state at Rs 1,135.91 crore till March 22 before the Central team. This includes loss to agriculture crop valued at Rs 537.28 crore, horticulture Rs 21.16 crore, cost of additional power Rs 30 crore, rural development Rs 193.30 crore, animal husbandry Rs 28 crore, assistance for interest loss due to deferment Rs 281.02 crore and damage to roads at Rs 45.15 crore.

After a meeting with officials in Chandigarh, Paswan and Balyian accompanied by state ministers and officers will visit villages in Bhiwani districts where rain has caused extensive damage to the crop. They will return to Delhi tonight for the Cabinet meeting, Paswan said.

The Centre has told all states to submit a final report of damage up to March 31 within a week so that relief package could be worked out for all states.