(Also demands enhanced compensation for damage due to rain and hail storms)
Chandigarh, March 13 – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to order an immediate Girdwari (revenue assessment) to assess the damage caused to rabi crops due to heavy rain and hail storm during the last few days.
In a statement here, the SAD President said as per reports, there was widespread damage to wheat crop as well as mustard and vegetable crops in Nawansheher, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ropar, Sangrur, Mansa and Ferozepur districts due to heavy rain and hail storms. He said reports of moderate damage to crops were reported from other districts also.
Mr Sukhbir Badal said besides immediate Girdwari, farmers should also be given compensation for crop damage as soon as possible, saying in many districts farmers had not received compensation for crops damaged during the last rabi season.
The SAD President also called for hiking crop compensation rates in Punjab by increasing the state quotient share in the compensation amount as had been done earlier by the S Parkash Singh Badal led SAD-BJP government. He said the government must announce enhanced compensation for wheat crop damaged due to rain and hail storm. “It is the moral responsibility of the state to bail out farmers in times of natural catastrophe and also minimize their losses. The Congress government should not be found wanting in this regard”, Mr Badal added. EOM
