Rohtak, Sep 7 (IANS) Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda on Sunday visited flood-affected areas for the second consecutive day and listened to problems of the people, and instructed administrative officials to provide relief to people on priority.

Talking to journalists here, he said the flood and water-logging situation in the state remained serious due to the state government’s failure.

“People need immediate help and compensation but instead of getting a special girdawari of the damage done, the government has once again handed over the people to the portal,” he said.

“For the past several years, instead of giving compensation, the government is playing the game of portals. Due to this system, 90 per cent of the people suffering from any disaster do not get compensation. Even the compensation that a few farmers get, takes several months. That is why the Congress has been demanding that financial help should be directly provided to the farmers,” he said.

Hooda, who drove a tractor along with farmers to visit the flood-affected areas of Meham and Kalanaur constituency, said the entire standing crop in fields has been destroyed.

“Looking at the waterlogging, there is no hope of the upcoming crop. Therefore, farmers should get compensation of at least Rs 60-70,000 per acre,” he said.

“Along with this, the government should also give compensation for the damage to houses, shops and other buildings. The Central government should also announce a relief package for flood-affected Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh,” he demanded.

Hooda said when a similar flood occurred in 1995, he himself brought the then Agriculture Minister Balram Jakhar to Haryana. “At that time, the Congress government had given compensation to the farmers for every loss including the farm sheds, tubewells, all the houses and shops along with the crops. But the current government registers the case of stubble burning by looking at the satellite image and when it comes to giving compensation, the farmers are handed over to the portal,” two-time Chief Minister and Congress legislator added.

–IANS

vg/pgh