Where are jobs, debt waiver, protesting farmers ask govt

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 13

Activists of various farmer unions today staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner office here in support of their demands, including total debt waiver for the farmers and job avenues for the unemployed in the state.

Farmer leaders Buta Singh Burjgill and Jhanda Singh Jethuke said, “Prior to the elections, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had promised that he will extend complete debt waiver to the farmers, including the one they owe to public sector banks, cooperative and private banks, but even after nine months of forming the government he is yet to deliver the same. The government is resorting to dilly-dallying tactics on the premise of its empty coffers while debt-ridden farmers are committing suicides. The announcement regarding waiver of Rs 2-lakh debt will benefit only a small section of farmers.”

They said the Congress had promised to facilitate a government job in each household of the state, but on the contrary it was snatching the livelihood of people by shutting down thermal plants. They said all seven farmer unions would hold a meeting to chalk out the future course of agitation regarding farmer issues.

They also demanded that complete debt waiver, a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a government job to the next of kin of the deceased should be extended in case a farmer or farm labourer commits suicide. Later, they handed over a memorandum of their demands to the DC.

Sangrur: The farmers also protested in front of Sangrur and Barnala Deputy Commissioner (DC) offices for their long pending demands. Fearing attack of stray cattle, special groups with sticks were deputed to guard protesters.

“Many a time, stray cattle have attacked protesting farmers. We have formed special groups to prevent any such incident,” said Kulwant Singh from Nagra village along with a group of other members while standing with sticks near the dharna in Sangrur. The protest started around 11 am and continued till 3.30 pm.

The organisations included BKU Ugraha, BKU Dakaunda, Kirti Kisan Union, Kisan Sangharsh Committee (Kanwalpreet), Krantikari Kisan Union Punjab, BKU Krantikari and Kisan Sangharash Committee (Azad).

Their demands include ownership rights of land to tenants, effective steps to control stray cattle to prevent the damage to crops, seizure of affidavits, blank papers signed by farmers and debt related record of farmers from commission agents, withdrawal of all court cases filed against farmers and labourers for recovery of debt, ban on release of defaulters’ lists by banks, implementation of Swaminathan report and release of immediate compensation to farmers for damaged crops.