Implement Swaminathan report, demand farmers

Tribune News Service

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Karnal, May 25

Farmers under the banner of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) today protested with green beacons atop their vehicles. The protesters parked their vehicles at the Mini-Secretariat for more than an hour, but nobody inquired about the green beacons.  “We have not violated any rule and even not adopted any VIP culture. This green beacon is the symbol of greenery,” said Rattan Mann, state president, BKU (Mann group).

Superintendent of Police Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said that fixing any colour of beacon atop a vehicle was a violation of the Motor Vehicle Act and he would get it checked.

Earlier, farmers gathered at Karan Park and took out a procession. They handed over a memorandum of their demands to Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Singh Brar.

Mann accused the state government of not fulfilling its promises and said that it had failed to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission.

The BJP had promised during the Assembly and Parliament elections to implement the Swaminathan report, but no action had been taken so far. For benefits of the farmers, the report should be implemented at the earliest, he said.

Mann also demanded waiver of farm loans and said that the government should fix the retirement age of the farmers at 60 years and Rs 5 lakh should be given to them at the time of retirement.

He said that wheat crop on nearly 15,000 acres had been destroyed in fire and no compensation had been given to the affected farmers despite the order of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. The government should provide them Rs 40,000 per acre compensation.