Farmers skip talks on NH blockade

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Sonepat, September 19

Farmers’ leaders today did not attend a meeting scheduled by the state government at Murthal to find a solution to the protest blockade on NH-44 following the recent Supreme Court directions to allow one-way passage to commuters on the Kundli-Singhu border.

The meeting called by a high-powered committee headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora ended after a discussion with members of industrialists’ associations, who had also been invited. Arora said it was the first meeting of the committee, and more rounds would be held till the matter was resolved. Sonepat DC Lalit Siwach had invited 43 Samyukt Kisan Morcha members to talk with the government committee. But, leaders of 32 Punjab farmers’ unions and the Samyukt Kisan Morcha had announced yesterday that they would boycott the meeting.

A delegation of industrialists’ association of Rai, Kundli, Bahadurgarh, Murthal and Barhi which attended the meeting said 5,000 industries in the district had employed 4.5 lakh labourers and their business was being affected due to the farmers’ protest.

Sonepat is a hub of MSME industries but the production has been reduced by over 30%, said industrialist Dheeraj Chaudhary. Another industrialist Rakesh Chhabra said the issue must be resolved as soon as possible.

Efforts to find a solution would continue and, if needed, the committee might go to Singhu border too, Arora said.

74-year-old Punjab farmer dies at Singhu

Sonepat: A 74-year-old farmer from Samrala in Punjab was found dead in his tent on Sunday. Heart attack is suspected to be the reason behind the death of Jai Singh, camping at the protest site for the past around six months.