As the farmer organisations’ announced to resume their agitation against the Government, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday reviewed the progress on the pending farmers’ issues with the senior officers of the State Government.
Badal underscored the need to put in place a mechanism for identification of farm labourers engaged in picking of cotton to enable them to get 10 percent of the compensation amount as already decided by the Government.
He asked the Revenue Department to come out with a viable policy for the disbursement of relief to the farm labours in case of such natural calamities in future to offset their financial stringencies.
Chief Minister has also impressed upon the Centre to immediately provide a relief of `20,000 per acre to the farmers who have suffered substantial loss to their crops from attack of ‘whitefly’ in the State, said the Advisor to Chief Minister on National Affairs and Media Harcharan Bains.
He informed that Badal said that he would pursue this matter vigorously both with the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance for its quick resolution.
It may be recalled that the State Government has already sent a comprehensive proposal in this regard for the consideration of Union Government.
Taking part in deliberations, Additional Chief Secretary Development told the Chief Minister that the Deputy Commissioners in the state have already been asked to ensure that genuine cultivators get compensation as per special girdwari report.
Revenue department has also issued instructions to extend the same quantum of relief to the farmers who have suffered damage to other crops like guar, ground nut, moongi, basmati and others.
It was also informed that the State Agriculture department had already initiated disciplinary proceedings against the errant officials who were involved in the purchase of spurious pesticides thereby deliberately tweaking the set procedure and regulations.
likewise, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Crime have already booked the unscrupulous dealers involved in the supply of substandard pesticides and insecticides as revealed in their investigation.
The Chief Minister directed the Additional Chief Secretary Revenue to explore the feasibility for the enactment of a law to pay compensation to the farmers for damaged crops.
On the issue of procurement of Basmati, the Chief Minister was apprised that 1509 variety was being procured at minimum support price (MSP).
Badal, on the issue of payment of sugarcane arrears due towards private sugarcane mills, asked the Secretary Expenditure to hold a meeting with the bankers for expediting the process of giving state guarantee of `135 crore, so that this payment could be made to the cane growers at the earliest without any further delay.
To ensure prompt payment of compensation to the next of kin of farmers committing suicides under distress, Badal asked the Deputy Commissioners to hold regular monthly meetings to dispose of such cases on priority.