Chandigarh, April 6 Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Monday that his government has ordered a crop loss assessment to evaluate the damage caused by inclement weather, asserting that affected farmers will be compensated.
Mann was speaking to reporters while presenting a four-year report card of the power department.
Responding to a question about crop damage in many parts of the state caused by rain and hailstorms, the chief minister said, "We have ordered 'girdawari', and after conducting it, whoever suffered crop damage will be compensated."
On Sunday, farmers had demanded compensation for crop damage caused by rain and hailstorms in various parts of the state.
Farmers have reported extensive crop damage at various locations, including Amritsar, Bathinda, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran and Fatehgarh Sahib, due to rain and hailstorms.
The farmers had also demanded that the state government conduct a crop loss assessment in affected districts to award compensation to them.
Responding to a question on a bill against sacrilege of religious texts, Mann said the state government has convened a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on April 13 to amend the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008.
"A special session has been called on April 13, and we will introduce a bill in that session," Mann said.
Last month, Mann had asserted a zero-tolerance stance, saying no one guilty of 'beadbi' (sacrilege) would be spared.
On sidelined AAP leader Raghav Chadha's response to criticism that he did not raise Punjab's concerns in Parliament, Mann said what he is saying now has no meaning, asserting that he went against the party whip.
"What he says now does not hold any relevance," he said.
Taking a swipe at Chadha for his remark of 'Kyunki mai ghayal hoon isiliye ghatak hoon' (I am wounded, therefore I am dangerous), Mann dubbed it a dialogue, and said 'Ghayal' and 'Ghatak' are two movies.
Chadha on Sunday shared a video showing his interventions on key issues affecting the state.
Mann had earlier slammed Chadha and said he believes he is "compromised".
To a question on arrests in the Chandigarh bomb blast incident, Mann said the Punjab Police has a track record of solving big cases within 24 hours.
He slammed the opposition parties for criticizing him over the recent blast incident outside the Punjab BJP office in Chandigarh.
Responding to a question about shifting the entire police staff from a police station in Bathinda after a 'Sarpanch' claimed inaction in drug-related matters, Mann said the cops have been shifted, and an inquiry into the matter is ongoing.
He said his government has a zero-tolerance policy against drugs.