Farmer unions hold protest, demand withdrawal of stubble burning cases

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 27

On the call of All India Kisan Sangrash Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), members of the BKU Dakonda, Kul Hind Kisan Sabha, Punjab Kisan Union, Krantikari Kisan Union Punjab, Kirti Kisan Union and Democratic Kisan Sabha unions on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here.

The agitating activists raised slogans against the Central and the state government. While addressing the protesters, Kul Hind Kisan state acting president Balkaran Singh Brar and Rajmohinder Singh Kotbhara of the BKU Dakonda said both the governments had failed to address the farmers’ issues. The leaders criticised the state government for registering (stubble burning) cases against farmers. They said the red entry in the revenue records of farmers for stubble burning would not be tolerated by farmer unions.

The coordination committee also demanded implementation of recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee Report. They demanded that the government should purchase basmasti at a MSP of Rs 5,000 per quintal. Similarly, the union demanded a MSP of Rs 500 per quintal for sugarcane, besides a bonus of Rs 200 bonus per quintal for managing stubble. They demanded that the government should withdraw cases/ challans registered against farmers.

The farmers alleged that the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) was not purchasing the produce at the fixed MSP. They demanded that the CCI should purchase cotton at the MSP of Rs 5,500. They also demanded hike in the cotton MSP to Rs 7,500. The union further demanded that all kind of loan waivers for farmers.

Harneik Singh Alike, Sukhdev Singh Nathana, Jagdish Gomti, Sukhdeep Singh Bath and Gurtej Singh Mehraj also addressed the protesters.