Farmers lay siege to DC office

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 26

Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee have today begun an indefinite 24x7 dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Jalandhar in support of their demands. A memorandum of their demands, which was addressed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, was submitted today to the DC.

What they want

• Compensation and jobs to the next of kin of those killed during the anti-farm law stir
• Cent per cent subsidy for stubble management; clean river/drain water for irrigation
• Relief for crops damaged in floods; cancellation of FIRs for burning stubble
• Land acquisition for highways at four times the market rate

The key demands included compensation and jobs to the next of kin of those for who lost their lives in the anti-farm law stir, 100 per cent subsidy for stubble management, clean river or drain water for irrigation and eradication of drugs from the state.

Farmers lodged outside the DC office along with their tractors and trolleys announced the indefinite dharna, which, they said, would only be strengthened in the coming days. Until late in the evening, farmers stayed put inside their tractors and trolleys parked outside the DC office and ate their meals while inside these.

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee vice-president Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra said: “Our key demands include withdrawal of false cases against farmers and labourers, compensation from the government for paddy stubble management, the state government’s resistance to the Electricity Act, 2022 and implementation of the Swaminathan report.”

Farmers also raised concerns over waters of the state getting polluted and demanded waters of surface water bodies be cleansed and provided to them at tail-end villages for irrigation.

They said waters of the Chitti Bein, Sutlej, Beas and other water bodies had been sullied by sewerage and industrial wastes from Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phillaur, etc. They demanded that the drainage system in the state be fixed and clean water be made to farmers. They also demanded that trees be planted by drains, rivers, nullahs, streams, roads.

Farmers said from today onwards they will hold dharnas at the district headquarters on these demands.

They said farmers, labourers, women, children and elderly will be a part of the dharnas.

Salwinder Singh Jania, district president, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Commitee, said: “This is our pakka morcha outside the DC office in Jalandhar. As long as the government doesn’t agree to our demands, the caravan of out tractors and trolleys is only going to grow. More tractors and trolleys will come tomorrow and day after. A long struggle will continue for the same. As long as our issues aren’t solved, we will not budge from here.”

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