Withdrawing its earlier announcement of a compensation of Rs20,000 per acre of land for failed crops due to the unseasonal rain, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government on Friday decided that only those farmers, who have suffered a crop loss of at least 70 per cent or more, will receive the full amount of compensation.
All others, who have suffered loss less than 70 per cent, will get only Rs14,000 per acre. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday. And according to the formula arrived at for the distribution of compensation amount, two slabs have been identified to decide how much compensation a farmer deserves for the crop loss suffered by him.
However, there is no gradual decrease in the amount of compensation as decided by the Government. So while a farmer who is identified to have lost 70 per cent of his crop will be entitled to the full compensation of Rs20,000, any farmer who is estimated to have lost 69 per cent, for example, will be entitled to only Rs14,000.
"Tehsildars will start distributing cheques to farmers in their respective areas from May 8 this month," a senior Government official said. The Pioneer had earlier reported that no formal and comprehensive survey has been conducted to arrive at reliable figures of crop damage. In such a scenario, the estimation of whether a farmer has suffered a loss of at least 70 per cent or not may turn out to be quiet arbitrary. And since the crops have already been harvested, an accurate survey may not be possible now.
last month during a farmers' rally in Mundka, Kejriwal had announced a compensation of Rs20,000 per acre of damaged crops and said his Government would stand firmly behind the peasants.
Kejriwal had said it was the "highest ever" compensation given to farmers by any State Government and asked why can't other States, where farmers are committing suicide, do the same.