Punjab women farmers seek relief for climate-hit crops

Jalandhar, May 7 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Mahila Kisan Union, a member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, on Sunday said despite the promise by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to provide compensation for crop loss owing to unseasonal rains in April, farmers are still deprived of relief.

In a statement here, Mahila Kisan Union president Rajwinder Kaur Raju said officials of the Revenue Department were refusing to accept the girdawari (crop assessment) reports sent by the Patwaris about the loss to Rabi crops.

"The affected farmers have not received even a single penny for the crop damages, ranging from 25 to 75 per cent."

The woman farmer leader said before winning assembly elections in 2022, Mann had given guarantees that the farmers would be given compensation at the rate of Rs 20,000 per acre even before the girdawari report.

"But as the government was formed, Mann has gone back on these guarantees and other promises given to the farmers."

She asked the ministers and leaders of the AAP government, including the Chief Minister, that instead of false propaganda campaign through newspapers, TV channels and social media, they should actually work on the ground and redress the grievances of the public.

The leader said even in Mann's assembly constituency Dhuri, the sugarcane growers have been struggling to get their dues.

He asked the leaders of Samyukta Kisan Morcha Punjab and all farmer organisations to give an ultimatum to the government to provide immediate compensation to the affected farmers.

Source: IANS