Chandigarh, Apr 6 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday sought the urgent attention of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for help to farmers whose crops have been destroyed due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
In a statement, Warring said a large part of Punjab, particularly the Malwa belt, had been hit by heavy rains and a heavy hailstorm, which had not only flattened the wheat crop but also completely destroyed it.
He said the extent of damage is such that it cannot be used even for fodder.
Criticising the Punjab government, Warring claimed that it had failed to reach out to the affected farmers.
The extent of damage and devastation is like what happened during the devastating floods last year, he said.
Asserting that he did not have much hope from the state government, he disclosed that it had not provided compensation to the majority of people who had lost crops and property during the floods.
Warring said the standard token announcement by the government to conduct the ‘girdawari’ (survey) of the damaged crops would not serve any purpose.
He asked what was to be surveyed when the crops over entire fields are lying flattened.
The Punjab Congress chief said the ‘gidawari’ announcements are made just to mislead the victims.
He said if the state government’s intentions were clear, it would provide some immediate interim relief to the farmers and not wait for the ‘girdawari’ reports.
The Ludhiana MP said that he had written to Union minister Chouhan and would be meeting him in Delhi after visiting the affected areas.
He said he will plead for immediate assistance to the affected farmers as they cannot wait for the state government’s survey as nobody knows when the survey will be completed, and when the compensation will be paid when the past experience is “bad and disappointing”. PTI CHS KSS KSS
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