Badal waives off upper limit of land for grant of compensation

Lambi (Punjab), Apr 7 (UNI) In a major relief to farmers affected by rain and hailstorm, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today waived the upper limit of 10 acres of land for grant of compensation to them against the loss of crops.

He directed that Revenue Department issue orders to the effect that there should not be any upper limit of land for claiming compensation against crops destroyed in natural calamities like rain, hailstorm or floods.

The Chief Minister was holding a ''Sangat Darshan'' here in Muktsar district to bridge the gap between the Government and people here. He instructed that farmers should get compensation against loss of crops in actual area. He directed authorities to disburse relief to farmers within 12 days positively.

Speaking to the media persons, he said that the Centre should come to the aid of debt hit farmers of Punjab, who were feeding the bellies of whole country. He said the Centre could not ignore farmers of Punjab, the 'granary of the country', which has been contributing more than 70 per cent of food grains to the Central pool.

He said that due to ''wrong'' policies of the Central Government, the gap between increasing prices of agriculture inputs and meager minimum support price (M S P) as announced by the Central Government, is increasing day by day, putting punjabi farmers under increasing debt.

Mr Badal said that he would be going to Delhi today to meet the Union Agriculture Minister and other Ministers to seek the relief for debt hit farmers of the state on the pattern of package announced for farmers of southern states.

UNI