Rules for crop loss compensation to change: Paswan

VARANASI: Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Ram Vilas Paswan said that Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government at the Centre would amend the norms for compensating farmers against crop loss.
“The existing norms of paying compensation to farmers against crop losses and its slab are obsolete and irrelevant as the previous Congress-led UPA government did not show any interest in amending it.This has led to farmers getting meager compensation against actual losses,” said Paswan while talking to reporters here on Monday.
He said that fluctuating weather condition has caused huge losses to farmers, especially in northern India. “I experienced it during my recent visits to Haryana and Rajsthan,” said Paswan adding following same visits a proposal for amendment has been given to the Cabinet, which can be approved soon.
Earlier, while addressing Lok Janshakti Party’s ‘Dalit Mahapanchayat’, he highlighted the land acquisition bill and said it was unfortunate that ruling parties of only backward states like UP and Bihar, where industrialization is an urgent need for development and checking migration of skilled workers, are opposing this bill.
“If governments in these states are not interested in implementing this bill , they are free to do so,” he said adding, “but it is “true that this bill is not anti-farmer and dalits will get maximum benefit by it.” He said that provisions made in this bill will pave the way of infrastructural development and industrialization, which will help in checking migration towards big cities.