Centre, AAP govt abandoned farmers: Bajwa

The Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Sunday accused Punjab’s AAP government and the Centre of “abandoning” state farmers in their darkest hour while claiming a complete collapse of governance.

“Punjab’s farmers have lost their entire season’s livelihood, yet they are being offered just Rs 6,750 per acre for partial loss, less than 10 per cent of the real earnings. One acre of paddy yields over Rs 70,000 but this so-called compensation is nothing more than an eyewash,” he said.

“In just one week, 1,018 villages across 14 districts have been ravaged and over 3 lakh acres destroyed. For our farmers, this devastation is not just about numbers, it is the collapse of livelihoods, homes and security,” he said.

Bajwa explained why Punjab had stayed out of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) since 2017. “We objected because the scheme assessed losses at the village level instead of individual fields, imposed extra premium burdens and delivered compensation after long delays,” he said.