Punjab CM announces Rs 7,200 per acre for de-silting fields

Chandigarh, Sep 29 (IANS) In a major relief to flood-affected people, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced Rs 7,200 per acre for the de-silting of sand from the fields of farmers under the ‘Jisda Khet, Ohdi Ret’ scheme.

Winding up the discussion during a special session of the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister said under ‘Jehda Khet, Ohdi Ret’, the farmers have been allowed to remove sand and silt accumulated due to floods in their fields and sell them if they desire.

He said that due to the floods, sand and silt have accumulated in several fields at the inundated villages; therefore, it has been decided that farmers will be allowed to remove sand and silt from their own fields.

Mann said the government will give Rs 7,200 per acre to the farmers under the scheme.

The Chief Minister said in a healing touch the flood victims the government has decided to enhance the compensation of 26 to 33 per cent crop loss to Rs 10,000 per acre from existing Rs 2,000 per acre under SDRF norms, 33 to 75 per cent crop loss to Rs 10,000 from existing Rs 6,800 per acre and for 75 to 100 per cent crop loss compensation has been increased to Rs 20,000 per acre again from Rs 6,800.

He said that in the Rs 20,000 per acre compensation, the government will contribute Rs 14,900, the highest in the country. Mann said he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday to flag the case of the state.

The Chief Minister said that for the repair of fully damaged houses, compensation worth Rs 1.20 lakh and for partially damaged houses, the compensation has been raised from the existing Rs 6,500 to Rs 35,100.

He said the time-bound special ‘girdawari’ to ascertain the losses suffered by the people is already going on. He said the government will give Rs 47,500 per hectare (Rs 18,800 per acre) to the farmers whose land has been eroded away by the rivers.

The Chief Minister said the state is facing a severe crisis and healthy criticism is welcomed as the critics are the real friends who raise the shortcomings in the working of the government.

The Chief Minister said the government has already released Rs 4.50 crore for waterlogged areas. He said that in order to have an advanced mechanism for the prediction of the weather, IIT Kharagpur and Indore, along with Thapar University, Patiala, have been roped in.

--IANS

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