Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 26
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi promised full compensation for crops damaged by pink bollworm attacks in the region.
Channi, who was speaking to farmers in Bathinda—his first interaction with them since taking over as chief minister last week—said his government would send over large quantities of pesticides to help farmers deal with the pestilence.
He said compensation for crop loss would be sent directly to farmers instead of going through middlemen.
Channi, who was in Bathinda with Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa, also demanded to know from the agriculture department why they had not been alert enough to stem the bollworm attack when it first began.
This comes after a state agriculture department official informed the chief minister that the 2-3 blocks in the region have seen 60 per cent of crops come under attack.