Farmers get Rs 75 relief in Muktsar!

Farmer Sukhdev Singh shows his cheque of Rs 131.25 at Lundewala village in Gidderbaha on Friday. Tribune photo

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha, June 5

Nine months after rain damaged farmers’ crop in the district, the state government awarded them cheques ranging from Rs 75 to Rs 168.

Farmers say the government has played a cruel joke on them with some refusing to accept the cheques. Some farmers at Lundewala village in Gidderbaha sub-division got cheques of Rs 75, Rs 93, Rs 131, Rs 150 and Rs 168 as compensation for the damage to cotton crop.

“The state government has rubbed salt into our wounds. I collected the cheque as evidence of the poor functioning of the administration,” said farmer Sukhdev Singh, who owns nearly 3.5 acres.

“My land got waterlogged, damaging my cotton crop last year. But I got a cheque of Rs 131.25 as compensation. I am not sure what to do with this amount,” he said.

On the other hand, a farmer of the same village, who owns six acres, has got a cheque of Rs 12,000. This has annoyed the farmers even more.

This village has been hit by waterlogging for quite a while. During the rains last year, farmers of the village suffered huge losses.

Last year’s rules state (before the revision of compensation amount) farmers, who suffered total damage to their crop, are to be given a compensation of Rs 5,000 per acre. Those who suffered 50 to 75 per cent damage would get Rs 3,600 per acre and those with 25 to 50 per cent damaged crop Rs 2,000 per acre. Farmers have also got meagre compensation for damage to houses. People have got Rs 47,000 for damage to houses.

The officials of the Agriculture Department, who disbursed the cheques, said those who had objections should meet the officials concerned. Mandeep Kaur, Sub-divisional Magistrate, Gidderbaha, said, “The officials concerned were told not to disburse cheques of below Rs 500. I will investigate the matter.”

In the past too, compensation cheques of little amount have been disbursed among the farmers.

Courtesy: The Tribune