Punjab: AAP govt releases Rs 101 cr as compensation for cotton crop damaged by pink bollworm

On the occasion of Holi, Aam Aadmi government in Punjab has released Rs 101 crore as compensation for damage to cotton crop due to pink bollworm.

The party said that this move was taken as the farmers faced heavy losses and this compensation was long-awaited.

In a tweet today by the official handle of the AAP in Punjab, it said, "GOOD NEWS FOR FARMERS! AAP Punjab govt has released Rs 101+ Crore as compensation for damage to cotton crop due to pink bollworm Farmers had faced heavy losses & this compensation was long-awaited CM @BhagwantMann is working on a Mission Mode."

On Thursday, owing to delay in providing compensation for the cotton crop, which primarily got damaged due to the pink bollworm attack last year, a huge number of farmers under the banner of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) gheraoed Mansa district administrative complex.

"The government has released compensation of Rs 1,01,39,45,087 for the crop damaged by pink locust. Will fulfill all promises and guarantees in all situations," tweeted AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan.

Earlier, the new Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced that an anti-corruption helpline will be launched in the state on Shaheed Diwas on March 23 and people will be able to lodge complaints against corruption via WhatsApp.

Mann had also taken to Twitter to post, "On the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh ji, we will launch the anti-corruption helpline number. That will be my personal WhatsApp number. If anyone asks you for a bribe, send it to me by recording a video/audio of it. A strict action will be taken against the corrupt. Corruption will no longer work in Punjab."

These developments pour in days after AAP registered a landslide victory in recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls, winning 92 seats, pushing most of its rivals to the margins. Congress won 18 seats in the 117-member Assembly.

( With inputs from ANI )

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