Farmers hold protest over govt move to sell co-op sugar mill in Tarn Taran

Farmer organisations affiliated with the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha staged a protest demonstration against the state government’s alleged move to sell Co-operative Sugar Mill at Sheron here on Tuesday.

On the occasion, the farmer organisations burned an effigy of the state government. The farmers, under the leadership of Nachhattar Singh, district convener of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, were addressed by Pargat Singh Sheron, Daljit Singh Dyalpura, Mahavir Singh Gill, Puran Singh Marimegha, Manjit Singh Baggu, Gurpreet Singh Gandiwind, Tarsem Singh Luhar, Tarsem Singh Mahal, Jassa Singh Kadgill and others.

Addressing on the occasion, the leaders said that the mill, set up in 1987, was not only providing employment to hundreds of youths of the area but was also working towards the government’s crop diversification programme. The leaders said the mill was crushing sugarcane of a large number of farmers of the Mand area.

They said the farmers of the area will not allow the mill to be sold at any cost. They said that since it is a cooperative sugar mill, it is the property of all farmers of the area and they will not allow it to be sold by the government.

The United Kisan Morcha has called upon other organisations to join the proposed meeting being held on January 22 to intensify their struggle over the issue. The mill is spread in an area of over 98 acres.