Join protest at Haryana CM’s residence in Kurukshetra: Union urges farmers

The Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE) has called on farmers and labourers to join a major protest at the Chief Minister’s residence in Kurukshetra on September 1. The protest is being organised to demand long-pending solutions to key agricultural issues affecting the farmers across Haryana. BKE state president Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh, members Gurpinder Singh Kahalon, Kultar Singh, Suresh Sokhal and Sarabjit Kamboj have been visiting villages in the Nathusari Chopta region to encourage participation in the protest.

Aulakh said the farmers would begin assembling at Tau Devi Lal Park on Pipli Road in Kurukshetra from 10 am on September 1. From there, they will march towards the Chief Minister’s residence to press their demands. These include fixing the minimum support price (MSP) according to the Swaminathan Commission’s C2+50 formula and ensuring guaranteed crop purchases. He also demanded a strict ban on the sale of fake and poor-quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, along with transparency in the distribution of fertilisers to stop black marketing.

While addressing a gathering at Tarkanwali village, Aulakh said the Hisar Ghaggar Drain was originally constructed to protect the waterlogged Chopta region. However, due to the failure of the administration and the Irrigation Department, thousands of acres of crops are destroyed every year during the rainy season. He demanded a permanent solution to waterlogging to save the region’s agriculture.

He raised concerns over poor irrigation facilities and demanded regular cleaning of canals and improvement of irrigation systems. He pointed out that while Punjab and upper Haryana regions were facing floods due to heavy rainfall, districts such as Sirsa and Fatehabad were not receiving the canal water. Aulakh demanded a fixed irrigation schedule of three weeks water supply and one week closure. He also asked for early paddy procurement from September 15, without unfair cuts for moisture content.

Aulakh criticised the government for imposing new rules on farmers, such as mandatory portal registration for fertiliser, compulsory sprinkler systems for new tubewell connections and complex conditions for equipment subsidies. He demanded compensation for crop losses caused by the paddy virus in the GT belt and simplification of procedures for tubewell connections.

He also opposed the 2025 Electricity Bill plan and smart meter scheme, and called for transparency in the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, saying insurance premiums should not be deducted from KCC accounts without farmers’ consent. Aulakh highlighted how insurance claims for damaged crops during Kharif 2023 were not paid, and instead, banks returned the premiums after months. He demanded that claims be re-issued by collecting fresh premiums. Lastly, he condemned the Central Government’s decision to remove import duties on cotton from the US, calling it harmful for Indian cotton farmers.