Rs 20K too less, give more to restore soil fertility: Cong

The Congress on Monday described as “meagre” the per acre relief announced for flood-hit farmers, saying the state’s AAP government did not factor in the cost of inputs required to make the land cultivable again even as livestock deaths compounded the losses.

However, the party sought an early deadline for the payment of the Rs 20,000 per acre relief declared by the government.

State Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring asserted that the losses suffered by farmers were not routine ones.

“These are long-term losses as not only have the crops been destroyed, even the soil has been damaged,” he said.

Seeking an early deadline for the payment of the compensation, Warring alleged that without it, the promise of relief might turn out to be “another hoax” by ruling AAP.

“Though the compensation announced remains quite meagre, the government must fix an early deadline for transferring it directly into the accounts of the farmers,” he demanded, adding that farmers suffered losses to the tune of about Rs 50,000 per acre.

“Besides, due to the dampness of the soil, which will last for months, they will not be able to sow the wheat crop,” he said stressing that the soil would need to be replenished with more fertilisers to restore its productivity.

The government, he added, had forgotten the livestock losses, running into lakhs of rupees, for each farmer.

The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, said, “The Punjab Government’s claim that this is the highest-ever per acre compensation granted by any government in India is a blatant falsehood.”

All-India Congress Committee Secretary and Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh said the compensation announced for flood victims was “like a drop in the ocean”.

He demanded that instead of Rs 20,000 per acre, the government should give compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for damaged crops.

Pargat demanded a separate compensation of Rs 1 lakh per acre to sugarcane cultivators. He urged the government not to levy VAT on diesel for three months.

He criticised the announcement of only Rs 4 lakh relief for families of those who died in the floods.