Haryana Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Capt Abhimanyu on Wednesday directed the officials concerned to expedite the work to determine the compensation amount before completion of the ongoing assessment exercise to check the crop damage due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the State. The State Government had earlier announced to compile the assessment reports from various districts by April 15 and then, give the compensation cheques to the farmers within one month’s time. The Minister on Wednesday reviewed the works being carried out by the Department and directed the officers to hasten the pace of work at a meeting held here.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department is likely to receive assessment reports soon from various districts. The Department had released a sum of Rs97 crore for the losses caused to the crops during February-March 2014. Capt. Abhimanyu said that the farmers would receive compensation cheques within a month. Necessary steps are being taken to get Special Power Attorney forms filled up by the farmers so that members of their families, especially girls and women, would not have to visit tehsil for completing the formalities to get the compensation amount.
Recently, the Centre had announced to increase the compensation for affected farmers from Rs3,600 to Rs5,400. Similarly, the State Government has also enhanced the compensation amount from Rs10,000 per acre to Rs12,000 per acre for 75 to 100 per cent damage to the wheat crop whereas the compensation amount for mustard crop has been increased from Rs7,500 to Rs10,000 per acre.
During March, unseasonal rains and hailstorm has damaged crops leaving the farmers in lurch. The rainfall between end-February and mid-March has damaged wheat crop on more than 20 lakh hectares in Haryana this year. Notably, the Haryana HRC had last week served a notice to Haryana Government on reported cases of suicide by farmers. The Commission had asked the Haryana Chief Secretary to send the status report within four weeks.