Though the Punjab government claims that it has released Rs.2 billion - Rs100 million for each flood-hit district to ensure rescue, relief and the rehabilitation activities but a large number of flood-affected farmers of South Punjab are still waiting for their loss compensation.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, on different occasion, asserted that it was the biggest flood in the history of Punjab as a result of which the biggest-ever rescue and relief activities were in progress in the province.

He declared that the Punjab government would compensate the flood affected people for damages to their crops, houses and livestock, adding that seeds, spray and fertilizers would be provided to the affected farmers. He directed the officials to ensure provision of food and other facilities at flood relief camps.

But the fact is that a large number of growers in different villages of South Punjab have not received any aid by the government yet. Hundreds of growers from flood-hit villages of Shujabad, District Multan, are constantly holding protests for not receiving any compensation or relief from the government. Some of the villagers have also alleged that patwaris are approving aid only to those who give them commission. “Any person, who offers Rs.5,000 to patwari, can get aid of Rs.25,000 announced only for flood-affected farmers, without showing any document of crop loss,” said Ibrahim Ansari who is a relative of villagers of flood-hit areas of Shujabad and resides in the suburban area of Jindu Wala. He said that mere lip service and rhetoric will serve no purpose. The affected farmers direly need compensation which should be made available as early as possible without any discrimination.

All flood-affected farmers should be compensated across the board and no discretion should be left to the Patwaris or district administration in the flood effected areas, the farmers demanded.

According to experts, the ferocious flood damaged crops cultivated at an area of over 0.4 million acres of Khanewal, Multan and Muzaffargarh districts. They said that flood caused loss of billions of rupees to farmers. It washed away crops of cotton, paddy, sugarcane, mango orchards and fodder. Agriculture-related activities including sale and purchase of cotton was affected badly in South Punjab due to the flood. Nearly 300 villages were under water due to the flood. Livestock department officials said that floods had caused loss of hundreds of animals. President Basmati Growers Association Hamid Malhi asked the govt to raise the minimum compensation to Rs. 10,000 per acre. He said that the cost intensive rice crop, specially Basmati paddy was badly damaged in the vast swaths of Gujranwala, Narowal, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and other rice producing districts.

He said that compensation for the rice crop should be at least Rs.10,000 per acre which is the minimum required for sowing an acre of wheat.

He urged the Chief Minister of Punjab to put an end to this discriminatory policy of compensation to the flood-effected farmers of Punjab by ensuring a fair and equitable distribution of flood compensation to the affected farmers.

Director, Farmers Associates Pakistan Dr Afzal Haider Rizvi quoting the govt figures, observed that around 23,43,255 acres of standing crops and orchards were affected in 3,055 villages of the Punjab during the recent devastating floods.

“Even if the damage was calculated at an average rate of Rs.30,000 per acre it amounted to Rs.70 billion but the compensation being paid to farmers has been assessed at Rs.4,000 per acre and that too only for farmers owning 10 acres or less. Dr Rizvi said the owner of 11 acres and above is also a citizen of this country and contributes comparatively more to the economy with reference to his size of ownership.

He argued when there is no discrimination in other government spending why should there be discrimination in providing relief to flood-effected people even if they own more than 10 or 20 acres of land. This discriminatory policy of providing a meagre compensation only to those farmers having below 10 acres of land is sheer injustice to other farmers and belies the tall claims made by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharrif.

Source - http://nation.com.pk/