Leaders of various organisations fighting for interests and rights of farmers have demanded compensation for wheat and potato growers of the region who suffered losses due to heavy rain and hailstorm that lashed the region two days ago. They have urged the higher authorities in the Revenue Department that individual field should be treated as unit for assessment of loss and demanded a special girdavari in this connection. Crops were partially or completely damaged at Latala, Barundi, Dhulkot, Ghungrana, Lohatbaddi, Brahampur, Sandaur, Manvi and Manki villages of Ludhiana and Sangrur districts. Vice-president of the state body of the All-India Kissan Sabha, Baldev Singh Latala, and executive member, Ludhiana district, Sikandar Singh Jartauli said a large number of farmers of the region would incur heavy losses due to damage caused to wheat, potato and fodder crops following heavy rain and hailstorm two days ago. “Though losses due to rain may not be massive in all cases, fields which were worst affected by heavy hailstorm have suffered total damage,” said Baldev Latala, maintaining that some farmers had to dig huge pits with machines for diverting rainwater. Referring to information received from office-bearers of various units of his party, state general secretary CPI (M) Sukhwinder Singh Sekhon claimed that there were certain villages where hailstorm damaged only a few fields, which failed to draw attention of the revenue authorities of their regions. “For this reason we demand that damaged fields should be treated as unit for assessment of loss during the special girdavari to be undertaken without delay,” said Sekhon. The Executive Magistrate at Ahmedgarh said a report regarding damage to crops standing in over 1,200 acres had already been sent to higher authorities for necessary action in the matter. Raikot Block Development and Panchayat Officer Navneet Joshi said all panchayat and village development officers had been advised to ensure that no damage to any crop goes unnoticed and unreported. Source - https://www.tribuneindia.com