Farmers begin dharna at mini secretariat in Hisar

Hisar, June 1

Farmers gathered here started the Tikri border-like “pucca morcha” at the mini secretariat, demanding the release of the pending compensation for the cotton crop loss during the 2020 kharif season in several villages of Hisar.

The farmers alleged that they had discussed the issue with the district administration thrice and had been waiting for the compensation. “But despite assurances, the district officials have failed to release the compensation to them. The farmers had been suffering crop losses due to whitefly attack and due to adverse weather conditions. But the government never bothers to pay the compensation to them in time,” said Sandeep Siwach of the Pagri Sambhal Jatta, a farmers’ organisation.

Siwach said a compensation of about Rs 33 crore for villages in the Balsamand sub-tehsil and Rs 29 crore for Adampur was pending for the year 2020. Similarly, farmers in the Kheri Chopta tehsil in the Narnaund subdivision were still to get the compensation for nearly three years, he said.

Farmers from Chuli, Sadalpur, Agroha, Kanoh, Bheria, Daya Diranwas, Rawalwas, Kirmara Kuleri, Gorchi etc arrived in about 50 tractors here. A farmer Rohtas Punia of Gorchi village said he was awaiting compensation for damage to the cotton crop for the year 2020. “I lost 3 acres of cotton crop due to the whitefly. But I am yet to get compensation”.

Mandeep Nathwan, a farm leader, said they came to know that the government had sanctioned the compensation for the cotton crop damage in 2020, but the farmers were still waiting for the compensation.

District Revenue Officer Chetna Choudhary said she was out of station today. “I can comment on the demands of the farmers after checking the details from my office,” she said.