Chandigarh, March 26 (IANS) The Punjab government has sought a comprehensive relief package, as special central assistance, of Rs.717 crore to compensate the state's farmers for losses caused by damage to their standing rabi crops due to recent untimely rains and hailstorms.
In the letter to the central agriculture secretary, Punjab's Commissioner (Agriculture) Balwinder Singh Sidhu has urged for grant of this compensation, a state government spokesman said here on Thursday.
"This would not only encourage the farmers in this hour of crisis but would lead them to work harder for ensuring food security of the nation," Sidhu said in his letter.
The state government has pointed out that rain and hailstorms affected standing field crops in over 2.60 lakh hectares, fodder crops in nearly 24,000 hectares, and horticulture crops in over 10,000 hectares in the months of February-March.
"In order to compensate the farmers for the losses suffered, a compensation at the rate of Rs.3,600 per acre was being provided by the state government due to high input cost incurred by the farmers and excessive damage to rabi crops. The compensation needs to be enhanced to Rs.10,000 per acre," the letter stated.
It contended that compensation under existing norms was too less and farmers would not be able to even sow the next crop, leave alone recover the cost of the standing crop damaged by the hailstorms, heavy rains and high velocity winds.
"It was strongly felt that the farmers needed to be adequately compensated in this hour of crisis," the letter read.
New Delhi: Corona cases are increasing continuously. The pace of daily pandemic spread across Ind
The giant American company Apple has given another blow to China. Another of its suppliers, Pegat
Countdown begins for navigation satellite launch
Chennai, March 26 (IANS) The countdown for the lift of an Indian rocket with the country's four
Preparations for the inauguration of Ram temple in Ayodhya are being done with great pomp. There
The central government has warned the Sukhu government of the state not to spend the money on the
Modi meets ministers holding independent charge
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met ministers of state with
Now everyone will get cheap medicines, government will open 25 thousand new Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
More than 15,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been opened across the country so far and the governme
HPU BCom Result: HPU B.Com final year result declared, Ankita of DAV Kangra topped
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Shimla has declared the B.Com Final Year Exam Result. In the re
PM Narendra Modi reached America on Tuesday. Here everyone is welcoming him with an open mind. Ev
The United Nations on Monday expressed concern over the increase in the number of abductions, for