Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday ordered Divisional Commissioner A Anbarasu to assess the damage to crops due to unseasonal hailstorm and rain in the national Capital.
“Have asked Div Commissioner to assess damage to crops of farmers in Delhi due to unseasonal rains (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted. On the other hand, farmers of rural areas of Delhi have been demanding to waive all bank loans and they should be given special package for damaged crops due to unseasonal rain and hailstorms.
A senior Government official said the final decision on compensation will be taken only after the assessment report on crop damage by the Divisional Commissioner (DC). The official further said the Government has not set any deadline for the submission of the report. It may take at least 10 days for Divisional Commissioner to submit it.
Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP unit and MPs from Delhi made a representation to Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh demanding the Centre to explore possibility of a relief package to the Delhi farmers, who have lost winter crops due to unseasonal rain in March. The Delhi BJP has demanded a compensation of Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 per acre for farmers as special package and said the relief should be given before Holi.
“In view of the problems being faced by the farmers of Delhi, the Union Agriculture Minister has directed that a letter be sent to the Government of Delhi asking them to submit a memorandum as per the norms and to seek relief for the farmers,” a statement said.
Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay had earlier written to lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung asking him to appoint a nodal officer to assess the crop loss due to untimely rains in the last few days.
In a memorandum to Union Agriculture Minister, Delhi BJP leaders stated that last year in March also the crops of the farmers in Delhi were damaged due to untimely rain and hailstorm.
After that the yield of crops of summer season was also below average due to lack of rain and now the wheat crop and mustard crop have been heavily damaged.
BJP leaders said that MP Parvesh Verma and various District presidents of Delhi intensively toured the villages and found that the crops have been damaged up to 60 to 80 per cent. Due to damage of three crops one after another, the economic condition of farmers has become pathetic and now only the compensation from the Delhi Government is not going to solve their problems.
last year, the AAP Government had announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre to farmers who faced losses due to crop damage. It had then claimed it was the highest compensation announced by any Government in the country so far.
Farmers of Delhi rural areas that include Narela, Najafgarh, Kanjhawala, Matiala, Bijwasan, Palam, Bawana, Kutabgarh have claimed that 30-40 per cent crops have been damaged due to unseasonal hailstorm and rain in the national Capital. Farmers have demanded that their bank loan should be waived off and affected farmers should be given compensation as per their crops damaged.