Loan waiver, MSP guarantee, compensation: Sirsa farmers submit demands to lawmakers

Farmer groups across Sirsa district on Tuesday submitted demand letters to state lawmakers, urging the government to address their issues during the winter session of the state Assembly.

The move follows a call made in this regard by the Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha.

Members of Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE) met legislators in their respective constituencies, and explained their demands in detail.

In Kalanwali, farmers handed a memorandum to Congress MLA Shishpal Keharwala, who said the demands would be discussed during a party meeting, and raised during the winter session. In Rania and Dabwali, demand letters were submitted to lawmakers Arjun Chautala and Aditya Devi Lal via INLD district president Jasbir Singh Jassa at a party office.

Jassa said the memorandums would be forwarded to the legislators, and raised in the Assembly.

BKE state president Lakhvinder Singh Aulakh said memorandums for Ellenabad MLA Bharat Singh Beniwal and Sirsa MLA Gokul Setia were sent through social media, as both were attending meetings in Chandigarh. He said the demands were discussed with them over the phone.

All farmer and labour unions linked to the morcha had submitted memorandums across Haryana, Aulakh added.

He appealed to lawmakers and the state government to address the issues, warning that farmers would stage a sit-in in front of the Chief Minister’s residence in Kurukshetra from February 23, 2026, if no action was taken.

The farmers’ demands include a complete loan waiver, a legal guarantee for crop procurement at minimum support price (MSP), prices based on the Swaminathan Commission formula (C2 50 per cent), reforms in the crop insurance scheme, and full compensation for crop losses. Farmers claimed that only about 10 per cent of the applicants had received compensation for crop damage during the 2025 kharif season, and demanded immediate payment to all eligible farmers. Other demands include a rollback of increased tractor registration fees and removal of age limits on vehicles.