Amarinder asks DCs to release pending compensation to farmers for losses during 2017 rains

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday directed all state deputy commissioners to immediately release pending compensation to farmers who suffered losses during rains in 2017.

Expressing concern at the delay in disbursement of 2017 compensation by the DCs despite them having received the money from the revenue department, the chief minister directed the financial commissioner (revenue) to seek an explanation from the DCs, according to an official release.

Chairing a meeting to finalise modalities for the early release of compensation to the people affected by the recent rains, the chief minister ordered that ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh be paid to each family which lost a member in the recent rains.

 

The chief minister was apprised that five deaths had occurred in the state; two in Tarn Taran and one each in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Moga.

The chief minister asked chief principal secretary Suresh Kumar to circulate detailed instructions regarding norms and criteria for assessment and release of compensation among all field officers in order to ensure timely payments.

The chief minister was told that a detailed memorandum for seeking financial assistance from the Centre will be prepared after compilation of data on crop damage, property and livestock loss.

The chief minister said compensation for the complete loss of crop, which was earlier fixed at Rs 8,000 per acre, should be paid at the enhanced rate of Rs 12,000 per acre.

The spokesperson said as per rules compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre will be paid for crop loses ranging between 76 per cent to 100 per cent, Rs 5,400 per acre for losses between 33 per cent to 75 per cent, and Rs 2,000 per acre for 26 per cent to 32 per cent.

A compensation of Rs 95,100 will be paid for full or severely damaged houses, and Rs 5,200 for partially damaged ones. In case of loss of livestock (buffalo or cow), the compensation will range between Rs 30,000 to Rs 90,000, and for goat, sheep and pig it was fixed at Rs 3,000.