NEED TO ESTABLISH A PERMANENT MECHANISM TO TACKLE CROP DAMAGE & DEMANDS SPECIAL GIRDWARI

Sangrur, Punjab: Mr Vijay Inder Singla today demanded that State Government should conduct a special girdawari to assess recent damage to crops in the Sangrur Constituency and announce interim relief immediately. Bad weather and hail storms have damaged standing crops which are almost ready for harvesting.

He stated that crop damage due to weather vagaries is becoming more frequent and it is time that a permanent mechanism is set up to tackle such situations for a quick relief. Sangrur MP said that government procurement agencies often refuse to lift discolored or higher moisture content foodgrains from Mandis which have been damaged by weather and he had to intervene, a number of times, in the recent past, to get relief for Punjab farmers. He stated that agriculture is under stress and it is time that Govt. policies are tweaked to help increase agricultural productivity and incomes. Congress Manifesto 2014, Mr Singla stated, outlines greater emphasis on enhanced coverage of crop insurance schemes; higher investments in creating agricultural rural infrastructure like cold storages, warehouses, sorting/grading facilities; more funds for agricultural research to develop new technologies for high yielding crops, disease resistant crops and livestock; emphasis on dairy development, fisheries etc. He further stated that UPA is committed to higher MSP for farmers to increase their income levels and observed that from 2003-4 to 2013-14 MSP of wheat and paddy has more than doubled. Sangrur MP also while campaigning in villages informed that UPA has now passed a historic Land acquisition legislation which ensures that land cannot be acquired without the land owners consent and promises 4 times the prevailing market value compensation and repealed the Land Acquisition Act of 1894.