A special package for Punjabi farmers that ensures they get enough compensation for their crop destroyed by unfavourable weather was requested by AAP MP Raghav Chadha to the Union Finance Minister on Saturday.
Punjabi Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Chadha wrote to the Finance Minister to draw his attention to the plight of Punjabi farmers, stating that since March 24, rains, high-velocity winds, and hailstorms have negatively impacted the wheat crop on more than 14 lakh hectares of the state’s 34.9 lakh hectares of total wheat area.
In his letter to the FM, Chadha said that “the unseasonal rains have significantly damaged the production and the quality of the standing wheat crop.”
“Manjeet Singh, who I visited in a Barwa hamlet, was clutching the stems of his destroyed crop firmly as he sobbed as he narrated his predicament. Manjeet has a kid to raise and a sick wife to care for.
“Crop loss may just be a question of records and data for those examining. For our farmers, it also entails a loss of self-respect and optimism for the future, however. The rains have deprived the farmers of their delight and dreams in addition to damaging their source of income “He composed.
Chadha said that the compensation for crop loss in Punjab has risen from Rs 12,000 per acre to Rs 15,000 per acre under the Bhagwant Mann administration.
“Farmers are the foundation of our economy, and Punjab is our nation’s food bowl. Our farmers have made significant contributions to agriculture, enabled our nation to become self-sufficient in food, and maintained food security through drought and other natural disasters.
The fact that the people who toil day and night to feed us are now dealing with a situation that makes it impossible for them to feed their families is very troubling and upsetting, Chadha added.
He said, “The Government should also intervene to assist Punjab’s farmers in their hour of need.”
