No deal with govt, Punjab farmers to intensify stir

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 3 

The Punjab government today failed to reach an understanding with the agitating farmers. The eight “anti-government” farmer organisations have threatened “rail roko” on October 7 and 8.

The talks held today between 17 farmer leaders and top officials of the Punjab government remained inconclusive with the government expressing its inability to agree to their demands. 

The government had called various farmer unions for talks at a time when a statewide agitation is on. Farmers have been staging protests in Bathinda since September 17. 

Farmers have also been sitting on dharna outside the offices of deputy commissioners in 21 districts of the state since September 28, demanding higher compensation for the loss of their cotton crop and assurance of higher returns for the basmati produced by them. According to the special girdawri ordered by the government, 75 per cent of the area under cotton crop has been damaged by whitefly attack. 

The state government has announced a Rs 643 crore compensation package. This has been rejected by the farmers as being too less. As many as 15 farmers have committed suicide after their cotton crop failed. 

Agitated over the failure of the cotton crop, mainly because of spurious pesticide invading the market and thus  proving ineffective in fighting whitefly; and the slowdown in basmati exports pulling down the price of the crop, the farmer organisations refused to see reason given by government functionaries today.

“Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was apparently trying to save face by calling us for a meeting with his officials who have no authority to accept our demands. He should have held a meeting with us directly. None of our demands were acceptable to the officers, including chief secretary, additional chief secretary (development), additional chief secretary (revenue) and principal secretary to Chief Minister. So, we have no option but to continue our agitation,” Buta Singh Burjgill of BKU (Dakonda) said after the meeting this afternoon. 

Hardev Singh Sandhu, another farmer leader under whose leadership the other farmer leaders were negotiating with the government, said though they have asked for the dharnas to be lifted in all districts today (except Bathinda where the dharna would be lifted tomorrow), it was only to prepare the farmers for the Rail Roko Andolan to be held on October 7-8.

“For 48 hours, the farmers will block railway lines to draw the attention towards the farmer distress in Punjab,” he said. 

Farmers are demanding that the compensation of Rs 8,000 per acre to farmers who have suffered damage to cotton crop be raised to Rs 40,000 per acre; each farm labourer’s family be given Rs 20,000 compensation; and compensation awarded to families of farmers who have committed suicide be raised from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. 

They also want the special girdawri to be conducted again as they feel that 90 per cent of area under cotton has been damaged. The issue of cultivators not getting the compensation, in cases where the land was given on lease, has also meant that the real sufferers have been ignored and compensation for crop loss has been awarded only to land owners. The farmers are also demanding that the farm loans taken by them be written off. 

The farmer organisations from the basmati-growing Majha region have demanded that the government should fix a price for buying basmati at Rs 4,500-5,000 per quintal. 

This year, PB 1509 variety of basmati is selling at Rs 1,500 per quintal (since the Centre announced to buy it at the MSP of Rs 1,450 per quintal).

Cotton

Demands 

• Compensation from State Disaster Relief Fund be increased from Rs 8,000 to Rs 40,000 per acre 
• Families of farm labourers be given compensation of Rs 20,000
• Re-order the special girdawri

Govt action

• Special girdawri report stated that of 11.25 lakh acres under cotton, crop on 8.3 lakh acres destroyed
• Special compensation package of Rs 643 crore announced. 

Basmati

Demands 

• Ensure fixed market price of Rs 4,500-5,000 (for super fine) per quintal
• Govt should buy produce in case private traders or rice exporters stay away
• Waive agriculture loans taken by farmers 

Govt action 

• With basmati (PB 1509) initially selling at Rs 900-1,000 per quintal, the state govt sought the Centre’s help. Now, PB 1509 will be bought by govt agencies at Rs 1,450 per quintal

Sugarcane

Demands 

• Farmers say the mills should be legally bound to release the dues to farmers as and when the cane is supplied 

Govt action 

• Government released Rs 540 crore last month to clear dues of sugarcane growers pending with cooperative sugar mills