'Give farmers machinery to manage stubble'

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, October 18

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU- Lakhowal) has warned the state government to make adequate arrangements for stubble management by providing machinery and equipment to farmers, failing which, if they resorted to stubble burning, the BKU would support them.

In a memorandum submitted to district authorities after a symbolic protest at the mini secretariat today, the BKU activists, led by senior vice-president Avtar Singh Mehlon, said in the wake of unseasonal rains, permissible moisture content in the paddy to be procured should be raised from 17 to 22 per cent and crop with discoloured grain should be also purchased by government agencies.

Making a case for special ‘girdawari’ and adequate compensation to farmers who had suffered losses because of disease or floods, the BKU demanded Rs 50,000 per acre as compensation for such losses.

“Procurement agencies must be given strict instructions to purchase the entire cop of paddy without any condition and form J of the total purchase should be given to the producers without any delay,” the memorandum submitted by the BKU read.

Other demands raised by the protesting farmers included curbing the menace of stray cattle roaming on roads and streets, early release of subsidy on wheat seed, putting an end to exploitation by officials in tehsil offices and sand mining rights for land owners.

The BKU also asked the government to provide compensations for lands being acquired for roads and highways at market rates and to instruct sugar mill owners for the immediate payment of arrears of sugarcane to producers.

#Bhartiya Kisan Union BKU #Environment #farm fires #Pollution #stubble burning