Whitefly-hit cotton growers in Punjab to get compensation

MANSA: Punjab agriculture minister Tota Singh visited the cotton fields damaged by whitefly here on Monday and announced that suitable compensation would be given to affected famers.

Thanking chief minister Prakash Singh Badal, the minister said that for the first time the government has decided to announce compensation for the crop loss suffered due to whitefly attack.

“Earlier, the government always announced compensation for the loss of crops due to natural calamity; however this time, the government has taken into account the loss incurred by the farmers due to whitefly and leafhopper also as a natural calamity.”

The minister also directed the district administration to carry out a proper assessment throughout the district regarding the crop loss and send the report to the state government.

“The agriculture department has been directed to take stock of the situation and send a detailed report of the loss incurred by the farmers.”

Terming the whitefly attack on the cotton crop as a natural calamity, the minister said that Punjab is not the only affected state rather farmers from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Rajasthan are facing the same problem. “We cannot fight against nature, but we will provide proper compensation so that farmers don’t have to suffer due to the loss.” HTC