Compensation to farmers soon: CM Khattar

Gurgaon, Apr 6: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday assured adequate compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged in the heavy rains and hailstorms that lashed several parts of the state recently.

"The farmers will certainly get compensation more than that given by the previous regimes. Cheques of Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20 or Rs 50 given by them to the farmers used to be a joke, " he said while interacting with media persons at an event in Pataudi.

"Now, the state government has decided that no farmer would get compensation less than Rs 500," he added.

"Orders have been issued to all the officers concerned to complete the special girdawari (survey) by April 16... Farmers will be given compensation within 30 days after receiving reports from the Deputy Commissioner," he added. [Help rain-hit farmers: Sonia Gandhi urges Haryana]

Khattar was inaugurating a three-storey mini sub-division level mini secretariat in Pataudi which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 8.85 crore. The Chief Minister also participated in two other programmes in Pataudi.

Later, addressing at Ashram Hari Mandir Shiksha Sansthan in Pataudi, the CM announced construction of a bye-pass for Pataudi this year. [BJP government weakening farmers in the state: Hooda]

The Chief Minister also announced the construction of a stadium on six acres of land in Pataudi and a 'vyayamshala' (village stadium) in Nakhrola village. Khattar said the state government has decided to construct 1,000 village-level stadiums in the state.

He also reiterated his government's decision to make Yoga compulsory and introduce teaching of Bhagavad Gita sermons in educational institutions.

PTI