Farmers seek aid for damaged cotton crop

Bathinda, February 25

A group of farmer leaders from the Punjab Kisan Union met the Mansa Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) over the “non-payment” of compensation for cotton crop damaged due to pink bollworm last year. The latter assured them that the compensation would be deposited to the bank accounts of the affected farmers before March 1.

Will be released by March 1: SDM

The compensation will be deposited to the bank accounts of the affected farmers before March 1. Mansa SDM

Union leaders said if compensation wasn’t provided to them on the promised date then they would launch a state-wide stir. Gurmukh Singh, a union leader, said: “Cotton crop in many villages of the district was damaged in October last year. While the damage in some areas was approximately between 25 and 60 per cent, there are farmers whose crops suffered 100 per cent damage. We have been holding protests and bringing it in the notice of the administration time and again but to no avail.”

“Though the government has been making all-out efforts for promotion of providing famers with compensation for damaged crop, many affected farmers have yet not received a single penny. There is strong resentment among farmers due to the indifferent stance of the government. We met the Mansa SDM and requested him to provide us with the compensation soon,” said the union leader. —