60% cotton crop lost, Punjab offers Rs 600-cr relief package

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 28

Faced with 60 per cent loss to cotton crop in the Malwa region, the Punjab Government has okayed a Rs 600-crore compensation package for the affected farmers.

The report of a special girdawri ordered by the Punjab Government shows that 6.75 lakh acres under cotton crop have been affected in a whitefly attack. Cotton was sown on 11.25 lakh acres in the Malwa region this year. Farmers have ploughed back crop on 11,800 acres because of the pest attack. The crop failure is not only because of the pest attack, but also because of spurious pesticides that flooded the state markets, and were unknowingly used by farmers to control the whitefly attack.

The failure of cotton crop in the state has acquired political overtones, which the “pro-farmer” Akali-BJP government is finding difficult to battle. With over 15 farmers in the Malwa region having committed suicide following crop failure, the ongoing agitation by cotton growers and the Opposition parties taking potshots at the government on the issue, the government is fire fighting on all fronts.

Though girdawri reports for two tehsils—Gidderbaha and Bathinda—are yet to come, the government has started releasing compensation to farmers to quell the disquiet among those affected.

CM Parkash Singh Badal announced at the Chappar Mela today that a compensation package of Rs 600 crore had been okayed for cotton growers. Sources said as special girdawri reports had started coming from affected districts, a decision was taken at a late night meeting yesterday to offer a Rs 600-crore compensation package.

Till today, Rs 520 crore (Rs 8,000 per acre) had been sanctioned for disbursal among affected farmers. Of this, Rs 350 crore was sanctioned today itself and Rs 170 crore has already been distributed to the cotton growers. The suicide attempt by another cotton grower in Mansa today and the rejection of compensation by affected farmers have further complicated the things for the government.

“We are also giving relief to farmers whose crop loss is between 26 and 33% (Rs 2,000 per acre) from the state government’s own funds. Though the Centre gives a compensation of Rs 5,400 per acre under the disaster relief fund (for damage between 33-75%), Punjab is giving additional Rs 2,600 per acre as aid from its own kitty, in case the crop loss is between 76 and 100%. This aims at ensuring that farmers who have suffered over 75% loss get Rs 8,000 an acre as compensation,” said a senior officer. But this has failed to impress the farmers who have suffered huge losses. With some of them getting compensation cheques for just Rs 80-150, the government’s relief efforts are being mocked at.