The farmers of Jammu's Saroora village say they had trouble believing their eyes when they received the cheques from the agriculture department
Rs 47 to Rs 400 - that is what some farmers of Jammu and Kashmir, devastated by last year's floods, have received from the state government as compensation.
The farmers of Jammu's Saroora village say they had trouble believing their eyes when they received the cheques from the agriculture department. Most of them were made out for Rs 94. The rest of the amounts - Rs 80, Rs 113 and Rs 378.
Incensed, most of the farmers have returned the cheques. Others call it a "joke". But all of them say they plan to hold protests against the state's BJP-PDP government.
"I had birds worth Rs 4 lakh in my poultry farm when it was hit by floods. I lost everything and today the government is giving me Rs 400," said former soldier Darshan Lal.
The agriculture department maintains there has been no mistake. Its director Dr SS Jamwal said the amounts have been fixed according to the norms of the National Disaster Relief fund.
"The rules say compensation for crop damage over one kanal of land is Rs 240," he said. The funds have come from the Centre.
The floods that hit the state last September had been the worst in the last hundred years. Nearly 300 people had died and more than 1.5 million people had been affected.
During his visit to the state on Diwali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised a relief of Rs 570 crore for those who lost their homes. Rs 175 crore was announced for rebuilding the six major hospitals which had been hit by the floods.
But compensating farmers who lost their crops appear to be a different proposition.
"During the election, there was the Modi wave... we were told the new government will take care of everything," Darshan Lal said. "The government has played a big joke on me," added farmer Karan Lal.