Ex-gratia relief of Rs.20,000 per acre was approved by the Delhi cabinet on Friday for farmers whose lands were devastated by unseasonal rains last year.
Several acres of farmland were destroyed in September and October due to constant rain and waterlogging in fields caused by floods in neighboring natural drains.
In response to farmer requests, the government had sent multiple teams to examine the situation on the ground in October.
The compensation will be paid in accordance with the extent of the damage. If it is discovered to be 70% or less, the compensation will be 70% of the amount. If the assessed loss exceeds 70%, Rs.20000 per acre would be compensated in full.
Farmers claiming ex-gratia must have records proving ownership of the property that was destroyed last year, according to a revenue department order published Friday. "Compensation shall not be given to landowners who are in the nature of companies or whose land has been vested in Gaon Sabha and the vesting order remains in effect.
Further, farmhouses which are in nature of plots with pucca boundary walls will also be excluded,” it stated.
The expenditure for this will be about Rs.53 crore for an approximate area of 29,000 acres.
"CM Arvind Kejriwal has consistently advocated for farmer rights. He had previously announced compensation. Previously, the CM stated that since the AAP came to power in Delhi, the government has ensured that farmers do not feel powerless and has provided compensation each time crops were harmed. This has never been a false promise, and he will guarantee that all farmers get compensated," the Delhi government said in a statement.
However, Paras Tyagi, who works for a non-profit organization called the Centre for Youth Culture, Law and Environment, which operates in villages, stated, "In many cases, farmers are not the documented owners since many farmers use contract farming. The government is not paying them what they deserve.”
