Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann appealed to PM Modi to release a fund of Rs 60,000 crore to the state immediately. Flood affected 1,000 villages, 3 lakh acres of paddy crop and millions of people. Demand for compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to farmers.
Chandigarh. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately issue a fund of Rs 60,000 crore to the state. He said that Punjab is currently going through a serious flood crisis and the situation is continuously deteriorating.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Mann said that this is the most horrific natural disaster after a long time, which has affected about 1,000 villages and millions of people. The situation in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Firozpur, Fazilka and Hoshiarpur districts is very bad. Due to heavy rains and water released from dams, about 3 lakh acres of paddy crop has been submerged in water. Families dependent on dairy and animal husbandry due to the death of animals are also in deep crisis.
The Chief Minister also said that Punjab suffered a loss of Rs 49,727 crore due to the implementation of GST and the end of VAT system, but the Center did not pay compensation. Also, the Rural Development Fund and Market Development Fund has decreased by Rs 8,000 crore. Projects worth Rs 828 crore were also canceled under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, which has affected the roads of the villages.
CM Mann said that the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) has money, but the Ministry of Home Affairs does not provide enough help for farmers and cattle rearers. Currently, in case of crop loss of more than 33%, only Rs 17,000 per hectare (Rs 6,800 per acre) is received. He called it “absurd joke” with farmers. The Punjab government is giving an additional Rs 8,200 per acre, so that farmers can get a total of Rs 15,000 per acre.
He requested the Prime Minister that crops were close to harvesting, so the compensation should be increased to at least Rs 50,000 per acre and the SDRF rules should be improved. The Chief Minister assured that the state government will continue its 25% contribution to the SDRF scheme.