Punjab Govt has announced Rs 123-cr compensation for rain-hit farmers: Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian
Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian today said the government had sanctioned a major relief package of over Rs 123.28 crore for farmers whose crops were damaged by the hailstorm that struck parts of Punjab last month.
He said the government acted with urgency immediately after field assessments were completed by district administrations so that affected cultivators could receive timely compensation and recover from the unexpected losses suffered during the harvesting season.
Sharing details, Mundian said: "A total relief package worth Rs 123,28,05,938 has been approved for crop damage spread over 92,695 acres in 111 villages across seven districts, including 992 acres with 26 per cent to 32 per cent damage, 61,115 acres with 33 per cent to 75 per cent damage and 30,588 acres with 76 per cent to 100 per cent damage."
Reaffirming support to farmers, the minister said, "Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with the farming community in times of distress and ensures that financial hardship caused by natural calamities is reduced through immediate intervention."
Giving a district-wise breakup, he shared, "Among the affected districts, Fazilka received the highest relief of more than Rs 44.24 crore, followed by Muktsar with over Rs 43.01 crore, Bathinda with around Rs 22.83 crore, Moga with Rs 7.73 crore and Amritsar with over Rs 5.26 crore, while compensation of around Rs 17.10 lakh and Rs1.35 lakh was also sanctioned for farmers in Ferozepur and Rupnagar districts, respectively.
Explaining the compensation process, the minister said, "The relief has been calculated on the basis of crop loss severity, covering land where damage ranged from 26 per cent to complete loss, thereby ensuring a fair and transparent compensation mechanism for every affected farmer."
Mundian further said the Revenue Department had already instructed Deputy Commissioners to expedite all remaining formalities so that the sanctioned amount can be transferred to beneficiaries without unnecessary delay.
