He said that his government has adopted a simple formula for fixing the compensation to avoid any problem in payment of compensation.
Highlight
- Kejriwal said that Punjab has not yet compensated the farmers for the loss of crops.
- The Chief Minister said that he is like the son and brother of the farmers of Delhi.
- Rs 55.35 crore will be distributed for the loss of about 30,000 acres of crops
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday handed over compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains in October last year. He also announced that a survey to assess the damage done to mustard and other crops would be launched soon in January to decide the compensation.
Stating that no country or state can prosper unless it respects and helps farmers, Kejriwal said Punjab has not yet compensated farmers for crop loss. “Punjab’s cotton crop was affected by pink bollworm where the state government only announced compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre and has not paid even that amount,” he said.
He said that his government has adopted a simple formula for fixing the compensation to avoid any problem in payment of compensation. If there is less than 70 percent loss, 70 percent compensation and for more than 70 percent loss, 100 percent compensation has been fixed at the rate of 20 thousand rupees per acre.
The Chief Minister said that he is like the son and brother of farmers in Delhi and the doors of his government are always open for him.
An amount of Rs 55.35 crore will be disbursed for an estimated area of 30,000 acres of crops damaged due to unseasonal rains in October, a government statement said. Kejriwal said there was no farmers’ government in Delhi before AAP came to power, recounting how in 2013 a chief minister expressed surprise that farming is done in the national capital.
“A chief minister who ruled for 15 years didn’t know that Delhi has agriculture. It showed how the farmers were absent from the entire governance system of Delhi. You could not expect the government to help the farmers when the Chief Minister did not know that they were present. After coming to power in Delhi, AAP ensured payment of compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre to the farmers. He said the amount was transferred to their accounts within 2-3 months.
The Chief Minister handed over the bank checks of the compensation amount to the farmers in a function organized at the Delhi Secretariat. Kejriwal went down the stage to hand over the check to an elderly farmer, who found it difficult to manage the stairs.
The chief minister said some states made short payments of up to Rs 10-20 to farmers suffering crop loss and said it was an insult rather than a help. He said that the Delhi government has paid a respectable amount ranging from two lakh to three and a half lakh in the case of some affected farmers. Revenue Minister Kailash Gehlot and Chief Secretary Vijay Dev expressed hope that the concerned officials would ensure payment of compensation amount to the affected farmers at the earliest.
“Arvind Kejriwal is the only Chief Minister of the country who understands the plight of farmers and supports them in distress. No government in the country has ever given compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre. Those which are in the nature of pucca boundary walled plots will not be entitled to it, the statement said.
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