In a bid to bail out the Cotton growers in state, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reviewed the progress in special Girdawari of the cotton belt so as to assess the total loss of the white gold due the attack of whitefly.
The Chief Minister convened a meeting to find out the cause of the whitefly attack and to chalk out the strategy to contain the future loss.
Disclosing this an official spokesperson of the Chief Minister office said that Chief Minister expressed serious concern over the reports of the devastation caused by whitefly on cotton crop in some areas in the state.
The Chief Minister was informed that in some parts of the state farmers have ploughed their cotton fields which had suffered 100% crop damage due to the attack of the whitefly.
The Chief Minister assured the farmers that compensation would be accorded to the aggrieved farmers after the assessment of loss.
He directed the Agriculture Department to depute Agriculture Officers from other parts of the state to cotton belt to felicitate the execution of Girdawari.
The Chief Minister also ordered to organise awareness camps at the village level for the farmers to educate them about the do's and don'ts in this crucial hour to preserve the remaining cotton crop.
He directed the Agriculture Department to conduct such camps jointly with the Revenue Department and Punjab Agriculture University.
He also appealed the cotton growers not to panic and precisely follow the instructions of the Agriculture Department issued from time to time.
Among others the meeting was attended by scientists of Punjab Agricultural University and officials of agriculture department.
It was informed that Fazilka and Muktsar are the worst affected districts.
