Farmers burn DMO’s effigy, want excess deductions back

Farmers under the banner of Jamhoori Kisan Sabha lodged a strong protest by organising a demonstration in front of the office of the District Mandi Officer (DMO) on Monday against his failure to return the amount deducted by the commission agents (arhtiyas) from farmers during the last paddy season in the name of lifting paddy. The protesting farmers burnt the effigy of the DMO and also raised slogans against the state government.

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Mukhtar Singh Mallha, district president of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, led the demonstration while Daljit Singh Dialpura and Narbhinder Padhri were among those who addressed the gathering on the occasion.

The farmer leaders, in their respective addresses, said that lakhs of rupees were deducted from the farmers by the commission agents (arhtiyas) on the excuse of transporting paddy to the godowns.

The leaders said that the farmers had been fighting against this action of the arhtiyas from the very beginning and in the last four months, they had to stage a dharna in front of the District Administrative Complex which forced the district administration to let a part of the deducted amount be returned to them. But a major portion of the amount was still pending with the arhtiyas. More than a month back, Deputy Commissioner Rahul had instructed the District Mandi Officer (DMO) to make sure the amount was returned to the farmers but it had failed to satisfy them.

The farmers had resorted to agitation in the scorching heat on Monday and Deputy Commissioner Rahul assured

them that the payment should be made to them soon. The farmers ended their protest with a warning that in case the payment was not made to them, they would intensify their agitation after 10 days to put pressure on administration.