Fazilka, August 4
The Punjab Government has at last provided succour by way of compensation after a span of about a decade to the farmers in the border area whose land falls between the international border and barbed wire fencing.
Notably, the farmers are cultivating their fields till the last inch towards the international border braving all odds. They are not allowed to cultivate tall crops like sugarcane and cotton for security reasons. Besides, the entry to their fields is also restricted and the terrain is tough.
"Rs 1,33,65,000 has been disbursed among the farmers whose land falls across the barbed wire fencing. Disbursement work was completed recently," said Fazilka Additional Deputy Commissioner, Charandev Singh Maan.
Due to the typical topography and limited options of farming, the standing committee on defence affairs had allowed compensation to these farmers at the rate of Rs 5,000 per acre. This compensation had been sanctioned by the Central Government and was paid up to 2002 during the tenure of the Atal Behari Vajpayee government.
The compensation was later on withheld due to unspecified reasons. The poor farmers who had been cultivating their fields in these areas across the barbed wire fencing and between the international borders continued to demand compensation for the regular losses incurred by them.
Their sustained pleas did not yield any results for about a decade. However, the state government, during its second tenure, has ultimately come to rescue of the affected farmers and has released a compensation of Rs 3,000 per acres to these farmers. The payment has been made by the Department of Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management, Punjab. Such compensation has been paid in all six border districts of the state. An amount of Rs six crores had been released by the Punjab government in March this year. The highest amount of Rs 1,48,80,000 was released for disbursement in Ferozepur district followed by Rs 1,33,65,000 for Fazilka district.
"The initiative by the Punjab Government is a welcome step but it is not sufficient. The Central Government should come forward and pay the compensation which should be enhanced to a total of Rs 10,000 per acre," said a farmer Harbans Singh of border village Gulaba Bhaini.
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