Jalandhar July 18:
Though the Centre has snubbed Punjab and Haryana on the issue of flood relief, it is perhaps not aware that the norms set by it for the distribution of relief are “ridiculous”.
There is a provision only to give Rs 20 per head to a flood victim to survive on it for a day. That means the flood victim is to procure food and other eatables with Rs 20 given to him or her from the calamity fund. This is questionable when prices of various eatables, pulses and even vegetables have hit the roof.
“Instead of finding fault with the states, the Centre should first have a look at its norms,” said an official associated with flood-relief distribution. And there is also a provision of only Rs 20 per cattle head to provide green and dry fodder in the flood-affected areas. Can a full grown buffalo, cow or other head of cattle survive on green and dry fodder procured by spending Rs 20?
And there is even a provision of Rs 1,600 to pay per acre compensation to the farmers whose crops have been wiped out by floods. In the case of Punjab and even Haryana farmers Rs 1,600 per acre is a sum not enough even to meet the seed cost, not to speak of other expenditure made on the sowing and transplantation of paddy. The labour, which was engaged by farmers in recent weeks, had charged Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,400 per acre to transplant paddy. The Punjab government has announced to pay Rs 5,000 per acre to farmers affected by floods.
“Obviously, we will have to spend money from our own treasury to pay over and above Rs 1,600 that is payable per acre to farmers under the norms fixed by the Centre for distribution of calamity fund,” said a senior official of the state government. Similar is the situation in providing food to the flood-affected people and fodder to cattle. One needs at least Rs 50 per head to provide food and other eatables.
The state government has already released Rs 40 crore from the calamity fund for flood-affected areas. The Centre had stated that both Punjab and Haryana have Rs 3,467 crore in their kitty, whereas Punjab has Rs 2,316 crore and Haryana Rs 1,151 crore as unspent in their calamity relief fund. The Centre contributes a major share, about 80 per cent, to the fund and the remaining contribution is made by the state.
Though the Centre has snubbed Punjab and Haryana on the issue of flood relief, it is perhaps not aware that the norms set by it for the distribution of relief are “ridiculous”.
There is a provision only to give Rs 20 per head to a flood victim to survive on it for a day. That means the flood victim is to procure food and other eatables with Rs 20 given to him or her from the calamity fund. This is questionable when prices of various eatables, pulses and even vegetables have hit the roof.
“Instead of finding fault with the states, the Centre should first have a look at its norms,” said an official associated with flood-relief distribution. And there is also a provision of only Rs 20 per cattle head to provide green and dry fodder in the flood-affected areas. Can a full grown buffalo, cow or other head of cattle survive on green and dry fodder procured by spending Rs 20?
And there is even a provision of Rs 1,600 to pay per acre compensation to the farmers whose crops have been wiped out by floods. In the case of Punjab and even Haryana farmers Rs 1,600 per acre is a sum not enough even to meet the seed cost, not to speak of other expenditure made on the sowing and transplantation of paddy. The labour, which was engaged by farmers in recent weeks, had charged Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,400 per acre to transplant paddy. The Punjab government has announced to pay Rs 5,000 per acre to farmers affected by floods.
“Obviously, we will have to spend money from our own treasury to pay over and above Rs 1,600 that is payable per acre to farmers under the norms fixed by the Centre for distribution of calamity fund,” said a senior official of the state government. Similar is the situation in providing food to the flood-affected people and fodder to cattle. One needs at least Rs 50 per head to provide food and other eatables.
The state government has already released Rs 40 crore from the calamity fund for flood-affected areas. The Centre had stated that both Punjab and Haryana have Rs 3,467 crore in their kitty, whereas Punjab has Rs 2,316 crore and Haryana Rs 1,151 crore as unspent in their calamity relief fund. The Centre contributes a major share, about 80 per cent, to the fund and the remaining contribution is made by the state.
