Crop damage: Less compensation

CHANDIGARH: This is a discrepancy Punjab farmers will hate to hear about.
After quick back-of-the-envelope estimates, it now appears that Punjab farmers will get far less compensation for crops damaged during the recent freak showers than their Haryana counterparts.
Rough figures show that around 30,000 hectares of wheat crop, especially in Nurmahal and Jalandhar, even parts of Ferozepur, suffered in the range of 26% to 50%.But while a farmer in Haryana would be eligible for a compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre for this, those in Punjab would only receive Rs 2,000 per acre.
The compensation differential is the same for damages ranging between 51-75%. Here, too, farmers in the neighbouring state would earn Rs 4,000 per acre, Rs 1,000 more than farm folks in Punjab.
However, compensation for damage exceeding 76% is Rs 5,000 per acre in both the states. But because crops hit by such showers, which are quite frequent, do not usually exceed 75%, farmers in Punjab would always be at a disadvantage. This is basically because compensation amounts differ in the two states and no one has as yet addressed the anomaly.
Caught unawares by the TOI revelation, a senior IAS officer in the agriculture department said he was ignorant about the difference in payouts. "I will put it up before the top brass tomorrow (Thursday) itself," he said, startled.
Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, chairman, Mandi Board, also said he knew nothing about it. "I will certainly take up the matter with the government,'' he said even as Bharati Kisaan Union chief and former MP Bhupender Singh Mann said Punjab farmers should be treated on par with their counterparts in Haryana.
"Whatever is being paid is just token amount and the government should ensure that farmers are completely compensated for loss due to natural calamities," the BKU leader added. Incidentally, it was only last year that norms for assistance from Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and National Calamity Relief Fund (NCRF) were revised by both the states in light of recommendations by the 12th Finance Commission for 2005-2010. While Haryana revised the norms in January 10, 2007, Punjab followed the policy a couple of months later.
Punjab's farmers, though, were unanimous in that a lower compensation for them is inexplicable as cost of inputs is even higher in the state. "There should at least be a parity vis-��-vis our counterparts in Haryana, especially when such unfortunate things befall us," one of them said.