Government Should Not Discriminate Against

Hoshiarpur /Oct 10/Daljeet Ajnoha : Former Cabinet Minister and senior BJP leader Tikshan Sood, in a press note issued today, stated that whenever heavy rains or floods damage farmers’ crops, the government usually prioritizes wheat and paddy while determining compensation. He added that even losses caused by pink bollworm infestation in cotton crops have been considered for relief in the past.However, Sud expressed surprise that the government has never extended similar sympathy or relief to vegetable farmers, who often suffer the most from natural disasters. He pointed out that in Punjab, particularly in the Doaba region, farmers mainly cultivate vegetables such as potatoes, peas, carrots, radishes, turnips, spinach, and fenugreek. Cultivating these crops costs around ₹40,000–₹50,000 per acre in seeds and fertilizers, excluding land preparation expenses.He further noted that this season’s prolonged rainfall delayed sowing and that subsequent downpours destroyed already planted crops, causing farmers to lose nearly ₹1 lakh per acre of investment, pushing many into debt.Sood urged the Punjab government to conduct proper surveys (girdawari) of vegetable crop losses and compensate farmers accordingly. He demanded that those whose vegetable crops — including potatoes — were damaged by the heavy rains should be given relief compensation of at least ₹1 lakh per acre so they can stand on their feet again.