Extending a big relief to farmers, the Punjab government has sanctioned Rs 32.82 crore as compensation for crop damage due to natural calamity during the year.Giving this information, Revenue Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria said the farmers had suffered heavy loss due to rain and hailstorm for which the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh-led government approved Rs. 32,82,43,328 for 51788-acre crop damage from June 2017 to July 2018.Giving a breakup he said that 29120-acre crop was damaged in Patiala district during 2017-18 for which a compensation of Rs. 17,53,08900 was approved. Similarly, Rs. 2,27,63248 has been approved for 4150-acre crop damage in Sangrur district, Rs 2,80,74978 for 3843-acre crop damage in SBS Nagar and Rs 2,92,29289 for 5412-acre crop damage in Barnala district.The districts of Kapurthala (8446 acre), Amritsar (753), Faridkot (54) and Bathinda (7 acre) suffered 9260-acre crop loss during 2018-19 for which a compensation of Rs. 7,28,66913 has been approved.
The Revenue Minister further said that the compensation would prove a big relief to farmers who had suffered heavy crop damage due to the inclement weather. The relief was being provided in the letter and spirit on the directives of the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Review meetings were held at the district and state level to ensure timely disbursal of compensation to the affected farmers.He demanded that the Centre should immediately implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission so as to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers of their produce on the one hand and make agriculture economically viable on the other. The Minister further said the state government was fully committed to ensure welfare of the farmers and leaving no stone unturned to help them out from the current agrarian crisis. The Punjab government has already launched debt waiver scheme for the small and marginal farmers, he added.