Farmers oppose auction of land

Gagan K. Teja 

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 22

Opposing the court orders for auctioning the land of one of the farmers at Barsat village, a large number of farmers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kissan Union (Dakaunda) held a protest at the village, which is 15 km from here in Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s home district.

Though the local court passed the orders for the auctioning of this 25 bigha land (about 5 acres), which belongs to Kulwant Singh, for the second time, revenue officials did not visit the venue of auction expecting a gherao like the last time when they visited the village for the execution of the orders.

Notably, the activists of the BKU (Dakaunda) on April 18 had forcibly stopped the process of auction at Barsat village. The annoyed farmers also detained a patwari, who was there for auction, for various hour in their protest. Besides having the orders of the court, patwari Jaspal Singh was forced to stop the auction process and made to sit in the dharna by the annoyed activists.

The farmers alleged that the complainant had prepared the forged documents of loan and filed the court case against the poor farmer.

Speaking to The Tribune, farmer Kulwant Singh alleged that he had taken a loan of Rs 1.4 lakh against his land from a commission agent in 2005, but he had returned Rs 1.81 lakh - loan amount along with interest in 2007.

“I had already paid all dues. When I demanded the security ‘promissory note’, Kirpal started making excuses. At the end, Kirpal filed the court case despite returning the ‘pronote’. He then forgot the ‘pronote’ and since then the money is piling up,” he said.

Naib Tehsildar Tejinder Singh said: “We have urged the farmer and the commission agent to visit our office to reach some consensus, but the farmer did not come. We are bound to get the court orders implemented, but did not visit the venue today sensing a fight”.

Meanwhile, the protesting farmers claimed that Kirpal was running a gang to dupe the people and Ram Singh is his accomplice as he becomes witness in his each and every case of recovery. There are multiple victims of his fraud in the region.

“Kulwant Singh had decided to commit suicide. When we came to know about it, we decided to intervene. We can’t let this happen to a farmer,” the farmers said.

Revenue officials didn’t visit venue of auction 

Though the local court passed the orders for auctioning this 25 bigha land (about 5 acres), which belongs to Kulwant Singh, for the second time, revenue officials did not visit the venue of auction expecting a gherao like the last time when they visited the village for the execution of the orders.