The Punjab Revenue and Rehabilitation minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria on Wednesday refuted Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s allegations that the government had not awarded any compensation for damaged crop.
The minister took a dig at SAD leader saying Badal is ignorant about the ground realities. “For the farmers, in past last ten years SAD leader never stepped out into any agricultural field,” he said.
Reacting to Sukhbir’s allegations that the government had not awarded any compensation nor ordered any girdawri (surveyorship) of the muskmelon crop damaged due to the hailstorm, Sarkaria said, the girdawri was ordered on 2 May.
He said girdawri has been conducted in an area of 5,254 acres where muskmelon crop has been damaged. He said, the compensation will be paid to the farmers immediately after the election code of conduct is over. The minister said the girdawri was going on and will be completed in a few days.
“But Sukhbir is either ignorant or is deliberately trying to mislead the farmers of Shahkot on the eve of by-election as, otherwise, he should know that no compensation can be announced or awarded till the process of election is complete in view of the code of conduct,” he said.
The Revenue minister added that not only the muskmelon farmers, but the maize growing farmers whose crops were also damaged due to the hailstorm, will also be compensated.
During the Shahkot bypoll campaign on Sunday, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal accused the Congress-led state government for ignoring the plight of thousands of muskmelon farmers whose crop was damaged due to hail.
He asked the government to explain why the girdwari was not done to assess the damage nor any compensation provided to them.