Farmers block rail traffic at Rayya

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 3

Activists of the Kisan Sangharsh Committee held a dharna on the railway tracks near Rayya to protest against the non-release of dues of sugarcane farmers and alleged decision of a private sugar mill owned by a senior politician of the ruling party here on Tuesday.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, a leader of the committee, said around Rs 350 crore dues of sugarcane purchased by mills in the state were yet to be released. He said at least nine farmers of the Hargobind area were harassed by the private mill alleging that they had created a ruckus on the mill premises during a protest last year.

Pandher alleged that farmers were protesting peacefully but the mill using its owner’s political power was trying to muzzle the farmers’ voice so that no protests against the highhandedness of mills could be organised in future.

“The farmers also protested against anomalies in weighing the produce, undue cuts being made on payments and others issues. The mill is only trying to harass farmers and the government is looking other way,” he said. The farmers demanded that loans of farmers should be waived off.

The activists lifted their protest after receiving assurances from officials of the civil and police administration that a meeting to discuss all issues of sugarcane farmers and others would be held with the Chief Minister after December 12.