Blockage puts farmers in spot; face urea shortage

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 27

Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Jatinder Singh Gill and district administration called upon the agitating farmers to lift the rail line blockade to replenish dwindling urea stocks and normalise the lives of people from different walks of life.

Dr Gill said due to the dharna staged by the farmers on the railway tracks, the supply of urea fertiliser in the district had stopped. If the supply is not restored this week, the farmers will face shortage of urea fertiliser. He appealed farmers associations to vacate the railway tracks so that the supply of urea in the district could be restored. The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has been blocking sit-in since December 20 at Devidaspura Railway crossing. As a result, trains are not operating on this route. The dharna is also going on at other places in Punjab like Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Tanda, Jalandhar etc.

District administration is of the view that the common man is suffering on account of the agitation in many ways. Firstly, state farmers were not getting urea, pesticides and other agriculture related goods, tourism in Punjab has come to halt due to that auto rikshaw, taxis, hotels and restaurants lost their business, medical tourism was hit, competitive exams are not being held in the state so youths are not getting jobs.

Gurpreet Singh Khaira, DC and Rakesh Kaushal, SSP (R) wondered when most of the demands of agitating were met and rest are assured then why are continuing with the agitation. They appealed farmer leaders spearheading agitation to call off the agitation.

The KMSC put forth several demands to the state government. In this regard, the police and district administration collectively held several rounds of meeting with protesting farmers. These demands include compensation of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of martyred farmers, government job for one member of the family of deceased, compensation of Rs 12,000 per acre to the farmers who sustained loss of their crops due to hailstorms in Ajnala and pink worm in Malwa region, cancellation of cases registered by police department, railway police and GRP during the course of farmer agitation. District administration has given compensation worth Rs 40 lakhs to the next of kin of six farmers of this district and two families of Tarn Taran district. One beneficiary has also been given job appointment.

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