Punjab: Rs 19.09 cr compensation to 29,343 farmers for not burning paddy residue

Punjab government led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has so far disbursed over Rs 19.09 crore to 29,343 non-basmati paddy cultivating small and marginal farmers from across the state, who have not burnt the paddy residue.

Secretary, Agriculture, Kahan Singh Pannu said that the amount of compensation has been released directly to the bank accounts of the farmers as per the list supplied by the field officers.

It may be recalled that the state government has decided to give Rs 2,500 per acre as compensation to those small and marginal farmers, who have refrained from burning paddy straw.

Pannu further said that as many as 85,000 applications have been received till date as the last date for submission of these applications is November 30, 2019.

Every application has to be verified by village panchayat and then by revenue authorities to ensure that only the non-basmati cultivating farming families owning land up to 5 acre and having not burnt any part of the field, are recommended for compensation.

Pannu warned that any sarpanch or revenue officer wrongly recommending the application would face stern action. He also cautioned that farmers giving a wrong undertaking to seek compensation would also face action for fraudulently claiming the public money.