Capt asks DCs to release compensation to farmers for losses during last year’s rains
Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday directed all deputy commissioners to immediately release pending compensation to farmers who had suffered losses during the 2017 floods.
Amarinder, while expressing concern at the delay in the disbursement of 2017 compensation by the DCs despite release of funds by the revenue department, directed the financial commissioner, revenue, to seek an explanation from them. The CM, who was chairing a meeting to finalise the modalities for the early release of compensation to the people affected by the recent rains, ordered that an ex gratia payment of ₹4 lakh each to the five families whose members had lost their lives in recent rains. Five deaths had occurred in the state – two in Tarn Taran and one each in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Moga.
He also asked the chief principal secretary to get detailed instructions regarding the criteria and norms for assessment and release of compensation re-circulated to all field officers to ensure timely payments, according to an official spokesperson.
The CM was informed that a detailed memorandum for seeking financial assistance from the Centre will be prepared after compilation of the data of the damage caused to crops, property and livestock.
SAD DEMANDS ₹35,000 PER ACRE RELIEF
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday asked the CM to release compensation crops damaged in 2017 floods and current crop damage at the rate of ₹35,000 per acre in a time bound manner.
In a statement, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said it was surprising that second successive crop damage in the recent rains had woken up the government to the fact that it had not paid compensation to farmers for the 2017 damage. “This shows the casual and cruel attitude of the government towards the farmers,” he said in a statement.