SAD to provide seeds to flood-hit farmers, hold medical camps

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday announced a relief plan for flood-hit areas, promising to provide affected farmers with cattle feed and wheat seeds, besides holding medical camps among other measures.

Addressing a press conference here, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the party will send out 1,000 trucks of maize silage and compressed hay to provide fodder to animals in flood-hit areas. Badal said the party will also distribute certified wheat seeds to farmers for one lakh acres to help them prepare for the next crop.

“In addition, 30,000 quintals of seed will be given to meet food needs in affected villages. SAD volunteers will use 500 fogging machines to stop the spread of diseases like malaria,” he added The party will also hold 125 medical camps with doctors from Guru Ramdas Hospital, Amritsar.

Twenty-five teams of veterinary doctors will also visit villages to treat animals. Volunteers will help clear sand from fields so farmers can start working again. Badal asked the Centre and the state government to waive loans of flood-hit farmers. He said the current six-month loan break is not enough and demanded Rs 50,000 per acre as compensation for crop loss. He also asked for Rs 10 lakh for each person who died and Rs 1 lakh per animal lost.