PATIALA: Untimely rains coupled with hailstorm and strong winds on early Thursday morning flattened paddy crop in several parts of Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala and Sangrur districts dashing the hopes of many farmers of a good harvest . It also affected the crop lying in the open in grain markets.The erratic weather affected paddy in a number of the village in the northern and eastern blocks of Patiala and western villages in Rajpura. Meanwhile, many fields were waterlogged hampering the harvest.Balkar Singh of Gopalpur village said rains and hail had damaged his crop in seven acres. A large number of farmers assembled in Jakharn village demanded that the government should expedite the process of releasing the compensation. “The farmers need to be compensated at the earliest or else we will not be able to sow the next crop,” Mahinder Pal Singh of Ghumana village said.Congress MLA from Ghanaur Madan Lal Jalalpur, who visited villages like Sehra, Sheri, Abdulgarh, Kauli and adjoining areas, said the farmers had suffered huge losses and he would write to the CM seeking a review of damage compensation disbursal process under which only Rs 12,000 an acre was given in case of complete crop damage.He added that the farmers were already financially burdened and such erratic climatic conditions spelled doom for them.Patiala deputy commissioner Kumar Amit also visited several areas in the district and said the administration would soon compile a complete damage report and present it before the government for early disbursal of compensation.

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