Political slugfest in Gujarat over crop loss; Cong, AAP differ on compensation to farmers

Ahmedabad, Nov 4 (PTI) A political slugfest has erupted between the ruling BJP, Opposition Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat over the quantum of compensation to be paid to farmers who have suffered crop damage due to recent unseasonal rains.

While the AAP demanded that all affected farmers be paid a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare without holding any assessment survey, the Congress said this amount was paltry and sought much higher payout -- Rs 50,000 per bigha (one hectare is around 6 bighas in Gujarat).

The compensation demands are being made at a time when the state government is still engaged in crop damage assessment exercise.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has announced his government will soon provide a relief package to farmers whose crops were damaged due to unseasonal rains that lashed parts of the state last week.

The Congress insisted the AAP's demand for Rs 50,000 per hectare compensation was too less and accused the party of having a "secret understanding" with the ruling BJP.

The BJP also hit back at the AAP, saying the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is only good at making tall claims while their own government in Punjab has not paid compensation to affected farmers.

In view of the damage to standing crops due to unseasonal showers, AAP convener Kejriwal, during his recent Gujarat visit, demanded that affected farmers be paid Rs 50,000 a hectare as compensation, just like what the AAP government did in Punjab for the rain-affected cultivators.

Talking to reporters on Monday, AAP MLA Gopal Italia said he will walk barefoot from Ahmedabad to state capital Gandhinagar, around 30km away, to "thank" Chief Minister Patel if he agrees to give a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare to each and every farmer.

"This (BJP) government is doing drama in the name of survey (to determine extent of crop loss). If the BJP government at the Centre can waive Rs 16 lakh crore worth of loans of industrialists without any survey, why are they talking about survey when it comes to compensating farmers?" he asked.

"Just like Punjab, we demand that all affected farmers of Gujarat be paid a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare without any survey. If the government does that in the next two days, I will walk barefoot till Gandhinagar to say thank you to CM Patel," maintained the Opposition MLA.

Hitting back, Gujarat BJP leader Hitendra Patel on Tuesday claimed the AAP government in Punjab has not paid compensation to all farmers as promised in the northern state.

"AAP leaders are good at making tall claims and challenging others. In Punjab, only 1.5 lakh hectares of land got affected due to excessive rains. A relief package was announced in September and they started paying compensation from October 16. Till now, they have not completed the payments to each and every farmer," said Hitendra Patel.

On October 29, the state government said unseasonal rains in October-end affected more than 10 lakh hectares of farmland in Gujarat.

Congress politician from Amreli and former Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Paresh Dhanani, slammed AAP MLA Italia for demanding only Rs 50,000 per hectare as he claimed that each farmer has suffered a loss of Rs 50,000 per bigha.

"If we put everything together, including the input cost as well as the money we would have received after selling groundnut on MSP, the actual loss was Rs 50,000 per bigha. There are nearly 6 bighas in one hectare. Someone demanded Rs 50,000 per hectare, which comes to just Rs 8,000 per bigha," Dhanani said in Amreli while addressing farmers on Monday.

Dhanani accused the AAP of having a "secret understanding" with the BJP.

"Now, that leader (Italia) said he will dance in front of the CM if farmers are paid Rs 50,000 per hectare. It appears the AAP is having some secret understanding with them (BJP). Farmers must be aware of those who want to sell farmers' interests for just Rs 8,000. We demand that each farmer be paid a compensation of Rs 50,000 per bigha, not per hectare," he emphasised. PTI PJT PD RSY