DW BUREAU / chandigarh The Punjab government on Saturday announced releasing a sum of over Rs 416 crore to compensate cotton growers for their crop loss due to pink bollworm pest attack. Pink bollworm attack had caused extensive damage to cotton crop in Mansa, Sangrur, Bathinda, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Barnala districts. Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister Aruna Chaudhary said to compensate affected farmers, the government is releasing an amount of Rs 416 crore. Of this amount, 10 per cent would be given to the cotton picking workers as relief. The compensation amount will be transferred to the accounts of Deputy Commissioners before Diwali and the respective district administrations will then directly transfer the amount to the bank accounts of farmers. Chaudhary, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha, while addressing the media here said the state government stands firmly with the farmers and every step will be taken for their welfare. Giving details of the distribution of compensation, the cabinet ministers said 4 lakh acres out of the total area of 7.51 lakh acres of cotton crop have been damaged by pink bollworm. They said the compensation was being paid at the rate of Rs 2,000 per acre for the loss to the extent of 26 to 32 per cent; Rs 5,400 per acre for 33 to 75 per cent loss; and Rs 12,000 per acre for 76 to 100 per cent loss, which is the highest-ever amount. Earlier, farmers were being paid Rs 8,000 per acre and pickers 5 per cent of the amount for crop failure. To a query regarding damage caused to crops by recent rains and hailstorms, Chaudhary said the 'girdawari' orders have been issued for the assessment of crop loss. As soon as the reports are received from the Deputy Commissioners, steps will be taken for giving compensation to the affected growers. The Deputy Commissioners had been directed to send crop damage reports within a week. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said the Congress government as well as chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi had cheated farmers by offering them meager and partial compensation despite the widespread complete destruction of their cotton crop due to pink bollworm attack across lakhs of acres in the Malwa region of the State. The SAD also condemned the Congress government for failing to announce a financial package for 'khet mazdoor' on the pattern of that announced by the previous S Parkash Singh Badal government when farmers had suffered a loss due to whitefly attack.In a statement here, SAD Kisan Wing President Sikandar Singh Maluka said it was shocking that despite a clear cut demand from the farming community for award of compensation at the rate of Rs 50,000 per acre, the Congress government had come out with a partial compensation policy. "It seems the government wants to cheat farmers further as it has kept a measly compensation of only Rs 2,000 for up to 35 per cent crop damage and Rs 5,400 for up to 75 per cent crop damage. Government sources are trying to limit all farmers in this bracket by stating that there was only partial damage to the cotton crop. This effectively means that even the meager compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre for 100 per cent crop damage will not be available to farmers. Cotton farmers have been backstabbed. The SAD will not tolerate this at any cost. We will team up with farmers and demand just and transparent compensation." Maluka also asked the chief minister to clarify why compensation had been denied to the khet mazdoor. "Even farmers admit that the 'khet mazdoor' also suffered due to the destruction of the cotton crop. They lost their only source of livelihood. Despite this, the chief minister, who himself belongs to the scheduled caste community, has acted in a most uncaring manner for members of the weaker section. The SAD condemns this and demands that compensation at the rate of Rs 15,000 per acre be released to all khet mazdoor also." The SAD Kisan Wing President also asked Channi to leave photo ops and start working. "Every section of society is suffering but the chief minister seems impervious to this and is busy getting himself clicked purely for photo ops only. No effort is being made to mitigate the suffering of the farmers who have to pay extra for diesel as well as DAP fertilizer which is being black marketed. (editor@dailyworld.in)