Chandigarh, April 9 (IANS) The Punjab government should immediately provide Rs 50,000 per acre in compensation to farmers for losses caused by unseasonal rains, hailstorms, and strong winds in Punjab, said Ashwani Sharma, working BJP President. ​

In a statement here, Sharma said, “According to the Punjab government’s own data, crops over 1.30 lakh acres have been damaged in the state. If proper girdawari (crop assessment) is conducted, this area may increase further.” ​

He said farmers had not yet recovered from the devastation to the paddy crop caused by floods in 2025, when a new crisis had now emerged. ​

“Neither the Kharif crop yielded results, nor the Rabi crop survived. This is an extremely difficult time for agriculture. Farmer organisations are also continuously demanding compensation, which needs immediate attention,” he said. ​

“Farmers are already burdened with debt, and the continuous cycle of crop losses is further worsening their financial condition. Therefore, supporting farmers at this time is the most urgent need”. ​

Sharma further said the government has adopted an easy approach; whenever farmers face any disaster, it writes letters to the Centre to evade responsibility. ​

However, the funds received from the Centre are misused for advertisements, hoardings, and self-promotion. ​

Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Wednesday urged the Central government to send a high-level team to assess the damage caused to wheat and other Rabi crops by unseasonal heavy rainfall accompanied by hailstorms in the state. ​

In a letter to Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, the minister highlighted the severe impact of inclement weather on wheat crops. ​

He said wheat sown on 35 lakh hectares had been expected to yield a bumper crop, but incessant rainfall and hailstorms have caused significant damage, pushing the farming community into distress. ​

“As per the preliminary assessment by the state Agriculture Department, the crop loss has been reported on over 1.30 lakh acres. The damage is spreading as rain continues, and the final figure may rise,” Khudian said. ​

He added that the damage is not limited to wheat alone, as vegetables, fodder, and other Rabi crops have also been hit across multiple districts, including Fazilka, Ferozepur, Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Amritsar, Moga, and Mansa. ​

Crop losses are threatening the livelihoods of farmers and the state’s agrarian economy.​

–IANS

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