High fuel prices hurting farmers in state, says BKU

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, December 10

In order to express their resentment over high fuel prices in comparison to neighouring states, farmers from Punjab would hold protests at all district headquarters on December 17.

Bharti Kisan Union president Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, chaired a state committee meeting here today and said price of diesel and petrol were the highest in Punjab which was gross injustice to the people in general and farmers in particular.

He demanded that petrol and diesel should be brought under the ambit of goods and services tax (GST).

Condemning the indifferent attitude of the government towards non-payment of arrears amounting to the tune of Rs 400 crore for sugarcane, the BKU chief said if sugarcane arrears were not paid within next 15 days, the government should be prepared to face a mass agitation.

He further asked the state government to make all private sugar mills operational and fix sugarcane rate at Rs 350 per quintal.

BKU general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said, “False claims are being made by the government in the name of debt waiver to gain political mileage in the coming general elections in 2019,” he said.