India News | Inquiry Ordered into Seed Quality After Pink Bollworm Attack on Cotton Crop in Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 29 (PTI) The Punjab government on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the quality of seed distributed for cotton farming following the pink bollworm attack on the crop in the Malwa region of the state.

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The order for the probe was given by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa after meeting a delegation of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee.

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In the meeting, attended by state's Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha, various other issues of farmers were discussed, a government statement said on Wednesday.

Criminal proceedings would be initiated against the guilty with the attachment of properties and levying of fines, Randhawa further said.

The agriculture minister said to save the cotton crop from further damage, the state government would provide free spray.

A few days back, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his deputy Randhawa had gone to Bathinda to assess the loss caused to cotton by the pest attack.

Meanwhile, Randhawa said the state government has provided Rs 5 lakh to the families of each of the farmers who lost their lives during the ongoing agitation against the farm laws.

On the issue of withdrawing cases registered against farmers during the agitation against farm laws, Randhawa said the state government has withdrawn 60 out of 105 cases and the rest would also be withdrawn soon.

He further said adequate compensation would be given to the farmers for the land to be acquired under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

This was stated after he along with Revenue Minister Runa Chaudhary and Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh and senior officials of the department and those of the National Highway Authority of India held a meeting with the representatives of the Road Kisan Sangharsh Committee.

Gurjit Singh Gill of the Sangharsh Committee pointed out that at many places, the farmers were getting less compensation for the land acquired than in comparison to other places.

Randhawa assured him that the state government stood by the farmers and every effort would be made to compensate them accordingly.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)