Punjab government’s unkind joke: Flood-hit farmers get cheques amounting Rs 3

Fuming farmers from Punjab’s flood-ravaged areas have slammed at the state government for giving cheques amounting only Rs 3 as compensation after proclaiming to provide a huge relief package.

The Punjab state government might have millions in their fund for flood assistance, but for these farmers the quantity of compensation they have received is nothing short of a joke.

A newspaper quoted farmers in the Doda village saying that they had received cheques for less than Rs 100 regardless of the government having set the compensation rate at Rs 5,000 per acre of crop destroyed.

Officials who gave away the cheques were quoted saying that they had given out 528 cheques that amounted to Rs 11 lakh but in reality almost a hundred of them were for amounts that was less than Rs 100.

A senior government official said that every person affected by the floods had received assistance, but the farmers complained that it was more of a mockery.

Reportedly, a farmer named Krishan Chand said most of his crops on three-acres of land were destroyed due to water-logging and for compensation he has received a cheque of Rs. 79.86.

As per the official figures, 41 persons were killed and crops on almost 4.1 lakh acres of land was damaged due to water-logging and floods this year. The loss estimated by the state government due to flooding was about Rs 233 crore and the money distributed as compensation was nowhere as compared to the loss.

Punjab is not the only to have made the mockery of compensation. In April this year, Haryana government has issued compensation cheques worth Rs. 2, 3, 4 and so on to farmers for crops damaged due to heavy rains and water-logging. And on top of that these cheques were in lieu of damage of crops in 2011.