(MOREPIC1) Face2News/Abohar.
In a letter sent to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister and Chief Secretary, MLA Sandeep Jakhar demanded that a provision for compensation to fruit growers be made in the new policy likely to be announced in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha special session from September 26 to 29.
He said that approximately 75,000 acres of land in the Abohar and Balluana constituencies are dedicated to horticulture. This region produces the highest amount of fruit in the state, but the state government's decision to provide compensation to flood victims excludes orchards.
The MLA said that the rains beginning August 1 and the overflowing of the drains caused waterlogging in six villages, but water did not drain out. The government announced a special survey/girdawari on September 9 to facilitate compensation, but most gram panchayats have no information about which officers from the Revenue Department and Public Works Department have been appointed to conduct the survey.
Jakhar said that farmers in Abohar and Balluana contribute to the prosperity of the region by producing cotton and kinnow fruit to support about Rs 400 crore financial turnovers. Due to the ongoing waterlogging crisis, cotton production has declined so fatally that most of the cotton ginning and pressing factories have closed.
He said that PCC chief and MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who had announced plans to “adopt” Abohar, and Congress MP Sher Singh Ghubaya have not announced any grant to the area from their discretionary fund in this hour of crisis.
