Raghbir Singh Brar
Faridkot
April 5 – Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal today requested chief minister Bhagwant Mann to release immediate compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to all farmers in this district as well as the Malwa region whose standing wheat crop was destroyed by the recent hailstorm. The Bathinda MP, who interacted with affected farmers in Bhucho constituency today, said it was shocking that farmers had been completely abandoned by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. She said it was condemnable that the chief minister did not react to the plight of farmers and announce compensation for them despite spending a night in the area. “It is equally condemnable that the agriculture minister – Gurmeet Singh Khuddian is from this region but despite that the administration has not swung into action and even girdwari to access crop damage has not started”. Asserting that wheat crop, which was ready for harvest, had been destroyed in thousands of acres, Mrs Badal said “the chief minister has in past boasted that he will give compensation for even hens and goats. But like in the past when farmers did not get any compensation for paddy crop destroyed in floods last year, this time also the government is not showing any inclination to give any compensation to them. I appeal to the chief minister. Farmers are in despair. They have suffered repeated losses in the last four years of your tenure in government. Please provide them compensation at the rate of Rs 50,000 per acre as promised”. Mrs Badal said the government could easily curtail its annual budget of Rs 1100 crore to provide the needed compensation to the farmers. She also announced that in case the government failed go come to the rescue of farmers the next SAD government would provide the due compensation to the farmers in 2027.
