Akali Dal seeks relief for low wheat crop yield in Punjab

Chandigarh : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Saturday castigated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for not approaching the Centre to seek compensation for farmers who suffered huge losses due to low wheat crop yields in the state.Senior SAD leader Prem Singh Chandumajra demanded the state government to seek money under the natural calamity category from the Central Disaster Management Fund.In a statement, Chandumajra said it was shocking that the AAP government had not even approached the Centre for the compensation to farmers who had suffered a loss of Rs 10,000 per acre due to unseasonal rains in February followed by extremely high temperatures in March.Demanding that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take up the case, the SAD leader said it was shocking that the state had not requisitioned the Centre to take stock of the losses suffered by the farmers till now.

He said farmers had not only suffered losses due to the natural calamity which had struck them but were now also facing value cuts on account of shriveled grains.”The Chief Minister should ensure that no value cuts as proposed by the FCI is enforced on Punjab farmers.”Chandumajra also demanded that the Punjab government to demand a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal from the Centre. “The state should also compensate farmers by distributing the extra VAT collected by it from the sale of diesel during the last one month on account of steep hike in petroleum prices back to them.”