Increase relief for crop damage by cattle: MP

Our Correspondent

Mandi Ahmedgarh, Dec 6

Batting for the rights of farmers of Malwa, Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh Boparai has urged the Union Government to increase the rate of compensation for damage to crops caused by stray animals. He also sought strengthening of the system to prepare for unforeseen fluctuations in weather.

While speaking on the issue Dr Amar Singh Boparai drew attention of the Agricultural Minster of the Government of India towards massive losses being caused by stray animals in Punjab in general and in areas falling under Amargarh, Raikot, Payal and Khanna Assembly constituencies. “As there is no prescribed system to gauge losses of crops and top soil of fields caused by invasion of large herds of stray animals, farmers are left wailing,” said Boparai, maintaining that recommended compensation of Rs 8,000 per acre for total damage of crop was too meagre to compensate the farmers.

Boparai pointed out that losses due to stray animals were much higher than floods or any other natural calamity where the successive governments had failed to bring an organised policy to save farmers from the menace of stray animals. “There is policy on wild animals but there is no policy on evaluation of damages being caused by stray animals,” argued Boparai.

“Bring in compensation policy for losses due to stray animals. Stray animals are causing losses not less than floods and rains,” said Boparai. The MP also raised the issue of losses due to unpredicted weather changes in Lok Sabha and demanded that scientific and stronger methodology should be adopted to caution cultivators against changes in weather. “There seems to be no national level planning tackling of increasing losses due to adversaries of weather. We fail to understand what farmers will do if rains are staggered for a couple of months,” said Dr Boparai.