Cotton pickers to get relief in their bank accounts

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 8

Bringing the much needed respite to cotton pickers, who are awaiting compensation for their losses due to whitefly attack last year, the Muktsar district administration has decided to transfer the compensation money into their bank accounts directly.

Muktsar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sumeet Jarangal said, “The cotton pickers need not go to any politician to get compensation. We have identified about 60,000 cotton pickers in the district and started the disbursement process in 10 villages on a trial basis. The total compensation of Rs 9.7 crore has to be disbursed among them in the district. The list of cotton pickers includes their bank account numbers and telephone numbers.”

Jarangal added, “Each family involved in cotton picking work will get Rs 1,500 as compensation. We will directly transfer the amount into their bank accounts. It will not just decrease the workload of officials, but also bring in transparency.”

He said just 5 per cent of the affected did not have bank account. They would be handed over compensation through other way.

The district administration first identified cotton pickers by roping in Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs) and thereafter the officials of the Agriculture Department were asked to verify the lists.

Initially, a list of 52,000 labourers was prepared, which later increased to 57,000 and now finally it has reached 60,000.

The Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union had announced to hold protests outside all district headquarters on Thursday to press for their demands, including delay in disbursement of compensation to cotton pickers.

The state government in October last year had announced that the cotton pickers would get 10 per cent of the total money disbursed among cotton growers.

Courtesy: The Tribune