Kejriwal to distribute compensation cheques to Delhi farmers

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will tomorrow distribute the compensation cheques to farmer, who have suffered crop loss due to unseasonal rain, in outer Delhi's Bawana area.
The Chief Minister will handover the cheque to around 100 farmers who have suffered losses due to rains, senior officials said, adding that according to an estimate over 19,000 farmers would be able to take benefit of the compensation scheme across Delhi.
Delhi government has named the farmer compensation scheme 'Gajendra Singh Kisan Sahayta Yojana' after a Rajasthan-based farmer who had allegedly hanged himself at an AAP rally at Jantar Mantar last month.
The Delhi Cabinet had approved the name of the scheme and the formula for payment of compensation to the farmers on May 1.

According to a senior government official, farmers who have suffered crop loss of 70 per cent and above will be given a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre while those below it would be given a minimum compensation of Rs 14,000 per acre.
Last month, during a farmers' rally in Mundka, Kejriwal had announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre for damaged crops and said his government would stand firmly behind the peasants.

The Kejriwal government claims that this was the "highest ever" compensation given to farmers by any state government.
"The compensation for farmers suffering from crop loss due to unseasonal rains has been divided into two slabs of Rs 20,000 per acre and Rs 14,000 per acre which was announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal so that farmers get compensation through a transparent mechanism," the official said.

It has also been decided that any dispute arising between government officials and farmers on the quantum of crop loss will be resolved in Gram Sabha nearest to the land of the affected farmer, he added.