Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to release compensation pending for crops damaged in 2017 floods, release compensation for current crop damage in a time bound manner and award the same at the rate of Rs 35,000 per acre.
In a statement here, former minister and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said it was surprising that a second successive crop damage in the recent unprecedented rains had awoken the government to the fact that it had not not paid compensation to farmers for the 2017 damage. “This shows the casual and cruel attitude of the government towards the anndaata”, he said while demanding that a time bound compensation schedule be announced immediately.
Stating that it was unimaginable that deputy commissions could withhold compensation to farmers on their own, Mr Majithia said there seemed to be more in denying the farmer his just due. “Going by the current state of affairs farmers may have to wait for compensation for 2018 rain damage till 2020”, he said adding farmers were also suffering due to inordinate delay in release of sugarcane dues of Rs 1,000 crore to them.
The Akali leader also demanded that the government release compensation to farmers at the rate of Rs 35,000 per acre. He said even the Congress election manifesto had promised a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre and not Rs 12,000 per acre as announced by the chief minister today. “The government must also tell farmers why it is reneging on the solemn written promise made to them on crop compensation which or should increase because farmers were facing an acute crisis. It has already failed to implement the Rs 90,000 crore complete loan waiver promise. Now it has again gone back on its word to compensate farmers for crop damage at the rate of Rs 20,000 per acre. This proves that these poll promises as well as others like ghar ghar naukari were made with the aim of winning assembly elections by taking recourse to deceit and were never meant to be implemented”, Mr Majithia added.
