Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who started his five-day tour in poll-bound Punjab on Thursday, announced to adequately compensate farmers for their damaged crop on the pattern of Delhi.
Describing the compensation given to farmers as a ‘cruel joke’, Kejriwal said, “We have done it in Delhi, where compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare was given to farmers of 307 villages for their damaged crop, which was never done by any previous government.”
Punjab being the nerve centre of agriculture needs, it needs more attention and new agricultural schemes, Kejriwal said while addressing a gathering in Sunam in Punjab. Earlier Kejriwal met the four widows of farmers, who recently committed suicides due to poor plight and heavy debt.
“I think the compensation of Rs 3 lakh announced by the state government for families of farmers who committed suicide was also embezzled by the corruption officials and politicians, as on ground no such compensation was given to any family,” Kejriwal said.
Taking note of the genuine grievances of the business community on 'faulty tax system' in Punjab, Kejriwal announced that entire tax structure in the state would be revamped to make it corruption free and business friendly.
“Tax structure will be revamped by taking all stake holders including business community into confidence to make it corruption free”, he said.
Before AAP’s coming into power, there was acute corruption in the departments concerning tax collection in Delhi, now during AAP regime, not even a single raid was conducted and traders are submitting their dues taxes as their responsibility without harassment, Kejriwal said.
Published 26 February 2016, 02:20 IST