Punjab farmers should be given a special package: Khanna

New Delhi, Mar 21 (UNI) Warning that ground water resources were depleting in Punjab resulting in drought-like conditions in Kandi area comprising Hoshiarpur and Ropar districts, BJP MP Avinash Rai Khanna sought immediate intervention of the Central Government for alleviating the situation.

''The monsoon rains have become erratic and the ongoing intensive agriculture operations in the state have come to a naught leading to indebtedness of the farmers with some of them are being driven to extreme step of suicide,'' he said in the Lok Sabha during zero hour.

He said that in such a situation, the only option was to sink deep tubewells for drawing water from a depper level. ''But such operation is a costly affair beyond the capacity of small and marginal farmers,'' Mr Khanna said, adding that now the government should come to the rescue of the farmers by installing deep tubwells for covering a large cultivable areas.

''The Centre should release a special package for this purpose,'' he said.

Besides, he demanded a 'special girdawari' for assessing loss of the crop due to erratic rains this year in Hoshiarpur and Ropar districts particularly.

He said the Central government should compensate the farmers for the loss they had incurred this year.

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