Akali Dal seeks relief for farmers' labour woes

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday demanded release of compensation of Rs 3,000 per acre to all farmers in Punjab to offset the losses being incurred by them due to flight of migrant labour from the state.

Stating that migrant labour had fled the state because the state refused to distribute ration to them, SAD leader Sikander Singh Maluka said the state government had chosen to send the migrants packing to their home states rather than giving them any incentive to stay back.

"Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is directly responsible for this. Now the state must come to the aid of the farmers as paddy transplantation rates have gone up from Rs 2,500 per acre to Rs 5,500 per acre. The farmers, who are already reeling under huge labour costs incurred to harvest and sell paddy during the lockdown, are unable to bear this extra cost."

Maluka said the government should offer compensation to farmers from the state disaster management fund which already had Rs 6,000 crore accumulated in it since last several years.

He said the Centre had also released Rs 247 crore under the disaster relief head recently.

He said the government should also give liberal subsidy for mechanised transplanters to fill in the gap caused by labour shortage.

He said the mechanised transplanters were being offered at a subsidy of 40 per cent which should be increased to 75 per cent to encourage the farmers to go in for them in a big way.

( With inputs from IANS )