Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs20,000 for every acre of damaged crops to farmers of the national Capital and said his Government will fulfil all the promises made by AAP in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls. The decision of the Kejriwal Government to provide a compensation of Rs50,000 per hectare (Rs20,000 per acre) to every affected farmer is highest ever
presented by any Government in the country. Many farmers in the rural areas of Delhi and near banks of Yamuna have been affected due to unseasonal rain. Around 4,000-5,000 acres of crops were affected due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm in the national Capital. According to officials, there are at least 100 villages affected in Delhi, mostly located in South-West part of the Capital.
Addressing a rally at Mundka in West Delhi, Kejriwal said farmers of Delhi have faced huge losses due to unseasonal rain and the AAP Government would always stand by them in their time of difficulty. “We will provide a relief of Rs20,000 per acre to farmers who faced losses due to crop damage. This is the highest compensation announced by any Government so far,” he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that the Government will consider providing cheap electricity farming. A delegation of farmers also submitted a memorandum to Kejriwal and requested him to immediately announce financial compensation which may give relief to farmers who are financially weak.
The Centre has recently increased 50 per cent compensation to farmers for damage to their crop due to untimely rainfall and other such causes. Earlier, farmers could seek compensation of Rs4,500 a hectare, or Rs9,500 a hectare, or Rs12,000 a hectare, depending on the crop sown and the nature of land, only if they lost 50 per cent of their crop because of natural calamities. Now, they will get Rs6,750, Rs14,250 or Rs18,000 a hectare, if the crop loss is at least 33 per cent.
Earlier, Kejriwal along with his Cabinet colleagues and local MlAs visited many villages in Narela, Bawana and Mundka constituencies to take stock of farmers’ condition. Kejriwal said the Delhi Government is committed to safeguard the interests of farmers in Delhi. He explained that the compensation amount was agreed upon following the survey conducted by officials. Any objections raised by farmers about the extent of loss will be decided in panchayat meetings where respective MlAs and concerned officials of the area will remain present.
Kejriwal also announced the Government’s plan to provide subsidy to farmers on purchase of seeds and fertilisers. He said the Development Department is preparing its plan to implement this measure. The Chief Minister said that during his visit to the villages, farmers complained about not getting tubewell connections for irrigating their fields. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has been directed to clear the pending applications at the earliest.
Referring to the rift in AAP, Kejriwal claimed there have been efforts to defame him. The Chief Minister also listed various initiatives taken by his Government and said giving 50 per cent power subsidy to around 90 per cent of the total consumers was a major decision. “The Congress and the BJP could not slash power tariff. We could do it as our intention is very clear,” he said.