Minister visits villages to assess crop damage

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 27

Punjab Information and Public Relations, Horticulture and Defence Services Welfare Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra today visited villages to take stock of damage caused to wheat crop due to the recent rain spell.

He visited a number of villages, including Sassi Brahmana, Sassa Gujran, Bhagwanpura, Dharmerhi, Ghiura, Bibipur and Randhawa, to assess the crop damage due to the unseasonal rain and hailstorm in the villages of his Samana constituency.

Patiala SDM Ismat Vijay Singh, Aam Aadmi Party (Urban) district president Tejinder Mehta, Gurdev Singh Tiwana and other dignitaries were also present.

Interacting with farmers, Jouramajra said the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, had proved to be a farmer-friendly government because within two days of the natural disaster, the Chief Minister met the affected farmers of the state and assessed the damage.

Giving assurance to the farmers of Sassi Brahmana, Sassa Gujran, Dharmerhi and Bhagwan Pura villages, Jouramajra said a pipeline would be laid up to the Mirapur chow to stop rainwater flooding in this area.

The minister said if the crop loss was more than 75 per cent, then the state government would compensate farmers at the rate of Rs 15,000 per acre and if it was between 33 and 75 per cent, they would get Rs 6,750 per acre. “In addition to giving compensation according to the calculation, 10 per cent compensation will also be given to workers, so that they do not face any financial difficulties,” he said.

Relief up by 25%

Punjab Information and Public Relations, Horticulture and Defence Services Welfare Minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra said the Chief Minister, giving a big relief to the farmers of the state, increased the compensation for crop damage by 25 per cent. By taking another important decision on Monday, he has also allowed one-year delay in paying the instalments of the limits of the cooperative societies.