National

Army compensates border village farmers

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 28. The Defence Ministry has released Rs. 40 crores as compensation for the crops destroyed by the movement of troops late last year. It has also decided pay rent for the land occupied in forward areas since last year.

All those whose land has been occupied for at least 30 days by the Army would be compensated by hiring or requisitioning.

These include cultivators prevented from sowing new crops and where land has been taken over and occupied by the Army.

The occupation of land that has been mined and where the land is not under physical occupation but not allowed to be cultivated for security reasons, would also be regularised by either requisitioning or hiring.

This is besides the Rs. 40 crores released by the Ministry to Rajasthan and Punjab, the two States most affected by the movement of armoured vehicles, artillery and air defence systems.

The compensation covers damage to standing crops and orchards around airfields and vital installations and damages to fences, sheds, structures connected with agriculture and other agricultural properties, according to a Ministry news release.

The release of Rs. 36 crores to Punjab is 25 per cent of the amount projected by the revenue authorities as loss towards the crops.

Similarly Rs. 13.80 crores to Rajasthan is also 25 per cent of the amount projected by the State revenue authority as loss towards the crops in the State.

The funds were sanctioned after the Punjab and Rajasthan Governments had approached the Defence Ministry for payment of ex-gratia compensation to farmers for damages to their crop during the preparatory stage of defence preparations and movement of the armed forces.

The payment will be adjusted against the final bills to be submitted by the board of officers constituted/to be constituted by the local military authorities for assessing the loss.

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