Stubble burning: Farmers seek cancellation of cases

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 17

Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) on Monday staged a protest in front of the District Administrative Complex over non-fulfilment of pending demands.

They demanded that cases registered against farmers for burning stubble be cancelled. Representatives of the union also submitted a memorandum of demands to the Deputy Commissioner in this regard.

A large number of farmers gathered in front of the District Administrative Complex and raised slogans against the state government. They accused it of not fulfilling their demands.

The protesting farmers rued that they were being forced to draw groundwater as the water supply from canals had been suspended, affecting the irrigation process amid the wheat-sowing season.

Ramkaran Singh Rama, state general secretary of the union, said, “The increase in petrol and diesel prices has broken the backbone of the framing community. But the government has not provided any relief to farmers so far. The price of petrol must be brought in the ambit of the GST so that the state government can lower the VAT rates to reduce the burden on farmers. The government is collecting the cow cess worth crores of rupees, but the authorities have failed to find a solution to the stray cattle problem. It must construct more cow sheds so that loss of crops can be stopped. Besides, efforts must be made to avert road accidents.”

Dara Singh, district president of the union, said, “The dealers selling substandard pesticides must be sentenced to 20 years in jail so that farmers do not suffer financial losses. The government must also allow the cultivation of poppy seed and the rate of potato must be increased to Rs1,000 per quintal.”

“The government has not provided subsidy on machinery to manage stubble. Thereafter, it started registering cases against farmers for stubble burning, which is completely irrational. Either the government should provide a permanent solution to the problem of stubble burning or it should pay us Rs5,000 per acre to manage stubble on our own. If the government did not cancel cases registered against the farmers, we will be forced to intensify our stir,” he added.