Chandigarh, April 8
Senior Congress leader Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has urged Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to intervene urgently following extensive crop damage caused by recent hailstorms across Punjab.
In a letter to the union minister, Warring highlighted that major agricultural belts including Bathinda, Mansa, Barnala, Malout, Gidderbaha, Lambi, and parts of Amritsar (Majitha) have suffered widespread destruction.
Warring said, standing wheat and other Rabi crops, nearly ready for harvest, have been severely affected, while vegetable crops in several pockets have witnessed near-total losses. The large-scale damage has pushed farmers into distress, with anticipated returns wiped out after months of labour, raising concerns over rural economic stability, he added.
Warring has sought immediate measures including a special time-bound crop damage assessment (girdawari), enhanced compensation aligned with actual losses, and swift disbursal of relief funds.
Warring also called for a separate relief mechanism for vegetable growers who have suffered complete crop failure. Emphasising the gravity of the situation, he urged the Union government to prioritise relief efforts to prevent further agrarian distress in the state.
