The Punjab Government has sought Rs. 800 crore interim Relief package besides 1000 MW additional power allocation from central pool in lieu of extra money being spent by the state government on purchase of power for the agriculture sector besides additional cost of diesel borne by farmers for irrigation of paddy crop, in view of deficient and erratic monsoon.Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab, today informed that Punjab Government has approached Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to immediately come to the aide of Punjab farmers to enable them to fulfill their commitment to make country secure on food security front. He said that 70 % deficient rains in the month of June and July was the cause of concern for the Punjab Government as farmers of Punjab were contributing more than 50% paddy to central pool and any failure of crop could have a bearing on Nation’s Food Security. He said that Powercom, the Power utility of Punjab Government was making all efforts to procure power for agriculture sector even in the spot market at exorbitant rates, with a singular purpose of supplying sufficient power to the agriculture sector in the paddy sowing season. Moreover, Punjab farmers were spending their fortunes on diesel for pumps for purchase of diesel just to ensure that the paddy sown by them doesn’t wither away due to deficient monsoon. He said that Powercom has purchased Power of Rs. 6556 crore and farmers had to incur additional cost on diesel and it was imperative for the Union Government to compensate the Punjab Government and the farmers by sanctioning interim relief of Rs. 800 crore as first installment. He said that Union Power Ministry should also wake up to the crisis being faced by the Agriculture Sector and should sanction 1000mw additional power from the central pool to Punjab so that sufficient power could be provided to agriculture sector in this extraordinary drought period. He said that Punjab was committed to bring 29 lakh hectares area under paddy so that it could fulfill its duty to the nation by ensuring the record paddy yield. He said that it was now the duty of Union Government to immediately sanction Rs. 800 crore interim relief and 1000 MW additional power to enable Punjab to succeed in its national mission. The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister said that he along with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would soon call Prime Minster Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to underline the gravity of the issue and get the relief sanctioned for Punjab