Give due compensation to 2017 rain-affected farmers: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has directed all the Deputy Commissioners to immediately release any pending compensations to farmers, who suffered losses during the 2017 floods in the state.

While chairing a meeting to finalise the modalities for the early release of compensation to the people affected by the recent floods, Singh ordered that an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each should be immediately released to the five families whose members had lost their lives in the incessant rains, read a statement.

The Chief Minister was informed that five people lost their lives in the state - two in Tarn Taran and one each in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Moga.

Meanwhile, expressing concern at the delay in the disbursement of 2017 compensation by the Deputy Commissioners, despite having received the money from the Revenue Department, Singh directed the Financial Commissioner Revenue to seek an explanation from them.

Singh also asked his Chief Principal Secretary to get detailed instructions regarding the criteria and norms for assessment and release of compensation re-circulated to all the field officers in order to ensure timely payments.

In the meeting, he was informed that a detailed memorandum for seeking financial assistance from the Centre will be prepared after compilation of the data of the damage caused to crops, property and livestock. The Chief Minister said that compensation for the complete loss of crop, which was earlier fixed at Rs 8000 per acre, should be paid at the enhanced rates of Rs 12,000 per acre.

According to the spokesperson, as per rules, compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre will be paid for crop loses ranging between 76 percent to 100 percent; Rs 5400 per acre for losses between 33 to 75 percent; and Rs 2000 per acre for 26 to 32 percent. A compensation of Rs. 95,100 will be paid for full/severely damaged houses, and Rs 5200 for partially damaged ones.

In case of loss of livestock (buffalo/cow) the compensation will range between Rs 30,000 to Rs. 90,000, and for goat, sheep and pig it is fixed at Rs 3000.