Highlighting the plight of farmers who have lost their crop in recent rains the state unit of BJP has demanded that state government should provide compensation of at least Rs 10,000 per hectare to aggrieved farmers.
“The State government should have announced compensation by now to the farmers who lost their crops in the wake of unprecedented rain and hailstorm in the past few days. They are badly affected by this natural calamity,” BJP state President laxmikant Bajpai said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.
He said that the government should assess loss of crop within 24 hours through the district magistrates and pay the farmers at the rate of Rs 10,000 per hectare to them.BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said that four farmers have died of shock after witnessing the damage rains have caused to their crop. One farmer had committed suicide in his agricultural farm by hanging.
“This unseasonal rain has broken the back bone of the farmers. They were hoping a bumper crop and this rain has dashed the hope of the farmers. The Government should step in and provide relief to the farmers,” Pathak said.
BJP demanded that compensation should be announced within 24 hours and the same should be distributed among the farmers by next week.“The farmers would not have lost their lives had Government extended relief immediately,” BJP spokesman said.
The state government has asked the Divisional Commissioners and DM of the affected district to carry out an inspection and submit the report at the earliest. Acting Chief Secretary VN Garg had claimed that Government cannot announce compensation till it gets report from the ground about the extent of damage to the crop.
According to a rough estimate farmers of at least 30 districts have been affected by the unseasonal rains. Crops like wheat, pulses, linseed and potato have been damaged.