Sangrur farmers claim 80% crop loss, say officers prepared ‘improper’ reports

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, April 20

Alleging improper assessment of the damage caused to crops due to rain and hailstorm three days ago, Sangrur farmers on Saturday claimed they had suffered 80 per cent loss even as the revenue officers concerned have shown only 20 per cent damage.

Farmers who met met senior officers under the banner of BKU (Ugrahan) threatened to launch an agitation in coming days if officers failed to undertake proper assessment of the crop damage.

“The rain and hailstorm have caused around 80 per cent damage to the standing wheat crop in various villages of Sangrur district. It’s likely to add to the debt on farmers. But officers concerned have shown only 20 per cent loss, which is injustice to us. We would launch agitation if officers fail to conduct proper assessment of damage,” said Gobinder Singh, BKU (Ugrahan) Sangrur block president. 

Farmers alleged that after rain and hailstorm, revenue department officers visited their villages but they did not visit fields to take exact assessment of losses. They also alleged that many revenue department officers prepared reports by sitting in their offices and on the basis of feedback they took over phone. 

“How the officers could prepare damage reports without visiting fields? This has happened in many villages. We have demanded proper assessment of the damage because it’s third crop loss during last two years,” said Labh Singh, Bhawanigarh block president of BKU (Ugrahan).

When contacted, Patwari Dharminder Singh admitted that the preliminary reports prepared earlier showed 20 per cent losses. 

“Today, we prepared a detailed report and detected around 35 per cent loss. We are conducting detailed assessment and would send the report to higher authorities for financial compensation to farmers,” he said.