Punjab chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal has announced an immediate compensation of Rs. 10 crore for cotton growers whose crop was extensively damaged by whitefly attack.

Badal made the announcement during a meeting with a delegation of Bhartiya Kissan Union (Sidhupur) led by its president, Pishora Singh in Chandigarh.

Cotton crop that farmers had ploughed back in six districts across 11,780 hectares had been destroyed by whitefly pest. Badal said the state government has already taken such decision to bail out the affected farmers.

The chief minister asked the revenue department to complete the entire crop loss assessment in these affected districts of the Malwa belt by September 24. The revenue officials would release the compensation amount to the affected farmers as per the assessment report by the end of this month after disposing of the objections raised by farmers in this regard.

Badal also directed the revenue department to ensure the payment of compensation directly to the cultivators in case of land was given to them by the owners on contract farming so as to mitigate hardships.