Marginal farmers unhappy over non-inclusion on financial relief list

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 10

Marginal farmers, who own less than five acres and had sown basmati, are not happy with the state government’s decision to exclude them from the list of Rs100 per quintal financial assistance, which was announced after the Supreme Court orders.

They said the government was just trying to exclude as many as farmers to reduce the financial burden, which would incur on providing financial assistance for managing crop residue.

“Around 85 per cent farmers own less than five acres. Keeping the farmers, who had grown basmati varieties, out of the financial assistance list is not understandable,” said Sukhraj Singh from Attari. He said the Supreme Court orders were aimed at providing financial assistance to farmers who managed crop residue without burning it.

Another farmer Kewal Singh said, “By excluding the basmati growers from the financial assistance list, does the government believe that basmati growers can burn residue?”

Rawel Singh, a farmer from Jhabal, said, “Providing financial assistance to all farmers and then keeping a check on those who burn crop residue even after getting the assistance is more appropriate approach. Even the procedure, which will be adopted to disburse the assistance amount, needs to be made convenient for farmers.”