Talks between Punjab Govt, cotton farmers fail

 Muktsar, October 13

The meeting between a five-member delegation of farmers protesting outside Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s residence at Badal village and a high-level committee of the state government headed by the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister in Chandigarh on Wednesday failed to yield any result.

Farmers are demanding compensation of Rs 60,000 per acre for the damage of cotton crop due to pink bollworm. Besides, they are demanding relief of Rs 30,000 for every farm labourer family.

After the meeting, which lasted for nearly an hour, farmer leader Ram Singh Bhainibagha said, “The Principal Secretary told us that the government can give a maximum of Rs 12,000 per acre compensation to the farmers. We are demanding Rs 60,000 per acre. We have decided that our protest outside the FM’s residence, which has entered ninth day today, will continue.” — TNS