Mahila Kisan Union demands Rs 50,000 per acre compensation

Jalandhar, April 4

The Mahila Kisan Union has demanded Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for all types of damaged rabi crops, vegetables and fruits due to heavy rainfall, gusty winds and hail storm in the Punjab. Besides, the union has asked the Prime Minister to announce at least Rs 10,000 per acre relief to farmers under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).

Assess damage to crop

If remote sensing or geo tagging could trace paddy straw fires then who is stopping the AAP got to assess the damage to crops from bad weather. — Rajwinder Raju, Chief, Mahila Kisan Union

In a statement, Mahila Kisan Union president Rajwinder Kaur Raju advised the Bhagwant Mann government that he should pursue the Union Government to relax norms on moisture content and lustre loss during wheat and other grains procurement as implemented in Madhya Pradesh.

She asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to announce Rs 500 bonus per quintal on procurement price of all rabi crops damaged due to inclement weather as the production output of rabi crops would fall in the current season far below the standard norms of agriculture experts and institutions.

Castigating the AAP dispensation for announcing Rs 15,000 per acre compensation for 75-100 per cent crop loss as a ‘hiked’ compensation, Raju reminded the CM about Rs 20,000 per acre compensation for farmers as promised in election manifesto.

Revealing details, the woman farmer leader informed that a compensation of Rs 15,000 per acre was enhanced by the previous regimes from Rs 12,000 per acre in October 2021 but as farmers were dissatisfied, the then chief minister had in November 2021 hiked the compensation to Rs 17,000 per acre in case of 75-100 per cent crop losses.

Raju questioned the state government “if remote sensing or ‘geo tagging’ could trace paddy straw fires then who is stopping the AAP government to assess the damage to crops from inclement weather which were nearing the ripening stage”. She also squarely blamed the saffron party for step-motherly treatment to Punjab farmers as the Centre has immediately provided relief measures for poll- bound MP state but completely ignored Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.