Farmers start protest near CM’s residence in Sangrur

Sangrur, October 9

Farmers, under the banner of the BKU (Ugrahan), have started an indefinite protest near the local residence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the Patiala road. They have set up a stage on one side of the road while the other part is being used to transport various items to the protest site from various parts of the state.

The farmers are protesting against the Centre and state governments for various pending demands. "Our protest will continue till the implementation of the accepted demands. The financial condition of farmers has been taking a turn for the worse as successive governments have failed to help them," said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of the outfit.

Their demands from the state governement include immediate release of financial aid to farmers, who have suffered losses due to damage to cotton and other crops and special assessment of crops damaged recently, allotment of a special budget for water projects, closure of liquor factory near Zira for causing pollution and quick action to prevent pollution of various canals by industrialists of Ludhiana.

They are also demanding that the state government should help farmers in getting adequate compensation for the acquisition of their land for road projects, quashing of mining law, bonus of Rs 200/quintal to manage paddy stubble without burning, financial aid for the death of cows due to lumpy skin disease, ownership rights to tenants and withdrawal of cases registered against farmers for burning of stubble and for various protests.

From the Centre, they are demanding quick action against persons involved in the Lakhimpur Kheri conspiracy and release of innocent farmers, a government job to the families of the deceased farmers and Rs 10 lakh aid to each family, an MSP of 23 crops as per the Swaminathan report and guarantee for the purchase of these crops, government jobs and financial aid to the families of 700 farmers, who lost their lives during the farm laws agitation and withdrawal of cases.

"Farmers from all over the state have reached Sangrur and in the coming days more will join the protest. We have made all arrangements," said Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary of the BKU (Ugrahan).

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/r7GCnMT