Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday sought Rs 2,330 crore package from Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to combat the deficit monsoon rainfall and the prevailing drought-like situation in the State.
The Chief Minister, who called on Radha Mohan Singh said that Punjab has experienced 51% deficit rain fall in various districts and in order to mitigate the effects of deficit rain fall, farmers of Punjab were making strenuous efforts and spending extra money on diesel and other inputs to sustain their Kharif 2014 -15 crops.
Badal apprised the Agriculture Minister that the total area under paddy plantation was 28.13 lakh hectares, which was 40000 hectares less as compared to last year, due to deficient rainfall.
Flagging up another issue, the Chief Minister said that bonus must be provided to the farmers over and above the MSP should be provide to cotton, maize and paddy to cover the additional cost of production as the MSP was already fixed without taking into account deficiency of rainfall. Responding, Radha Mohan assured him of all support to fight against possible challenges from deficient rains in Punjab. He said that that the Union government would extend all sort of help to the State Government to bail out the farmers from current agrarian crisis.