Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, October 18
At a time when the Punjab Government is making big claims to provide quick financial aid to pink bollworm-affected cotton growers, farmers of many villages of Sangrur do not have any hope. Reason: They have yet not received any financial aid for losses they suffered months ago due to damage to paddy crop after heavy rain.
“Pink bollworm has come as another blow to area farmers, who are yet to get financial aid for the damage to paddy due to rain. In August, we protested for several days in front of the office of the Moonak SDM. From Monday, we have again decided to launch an indefinite protest,” said Rinku Moonak, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) president of Moonak block, who lost three acres of standing paddy to rainwater in August.
Can’t trust government
Farmers have not received any compensation for the paddy yet. How can we trust the govt this time now? —Sukhdev Singh, Sangrur farmer
Compensation soon
We are hopeful that the financial aid for paddy and cotton losses will come in some days. —Ramvir, Sangrur DC
As per report of the Agriculture Department, rainwater had damaged standing paddy crop on thousands of acres of 47 villages of Moonak and Lehra areas of the district. Now pink bollworm has affected hundreds of acres of cotton in various villages of the district. Though after the Agriculture Department prepared their preliminary report of the damage to cotton, revenue department officers have also prepared their own report and sent to the Punjab Government, but farmers say it’s all an eyewash.
Like past, this time also, farmers from various villages are getting united to press the government for immediate financial aid. Farmers are conducting village-level meetings to mobilise maximum support for their protest.
When contacted, Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Ramvir, he said both lists (Including of paddy and cotton losses) are with the government and the relief was likely to be released soon.
Yet to get relief for paddy loss, bollworm-hit have little hope
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