Condition of fasting Abohar farmer at 'pucca morcha' worsens

Our Correspondent

Abohar, August 24

The condition of Milakh Raj of Diwankhera village, who has been observing fast for the past four days at the “pucca morcha” launched by Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) near the interstate border on the Abohar-Sriganganagar stretch of the National Highway 62, deteriorated today.

Doctors diagnosed Raj of suffering from low blood pressure and nervousness. They advised that he should be taken to a hospital, but he denied. BKU leader Rajan Singh said the farmer insisted that he would only end his fast if the Deputy Commissioner (DC) visited the protest site to discuss their demands.

The BKU launched the protest last week to demand compensation for damaged crop of orchards and cotton due to high temperature, lack of canal water and whitefly attack. BKU district president Sukhminder Singh said, “Till now the Punjab Government has not bothered to talk to us, it seems that now a situation like Singhu border will be created here.”

DC Dr Sudhanshu Aggarwal said, “Report made by the Horticulture Department about loss of fruit orchards has already been sent to the Financial Commissioner. The Agriculture Department had conducted a survey about the whitefly attack, but the effects of such attack may reduce by September 15. After that, the exact situation can be assessed to order a fresh girdawari and patwaris have been directed to earmark a column in the special girdawari report about the losses. The Irrigation Department has been directed to make water available till the tail-end of canals.”

Expressing anguish over the situation, MLA Sandeep Jakhar said claims of the AAP government being farmer-friendly turned out to be hollow. “A dumb, deaf and blind government is not ready to heal the farmers’ pain. For the last few days, farmers have been demanding compensation for losses amounting to crores of rupees. No senior administrative official has come to meet them. The government has been in power for five months, but its entire focus has been on self-appreciation. In the policy adopted by the government for the special girdawari, the chances of farmers getting compensation appear to be zero,” he said.

#abohar #farmers protest