Sirsa farmers to hold protest in support of demands on Dec 2

Farmers in Sirsa district will hold a protest at the Deputy Commissioner’s office on December 2 to demand action over crop damage, delayed insurance claims and alleged cheating in grain markets. A memorandum of demands addressed to the Chief Minister will be submitted during the demonstration.

Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh, state president of Bharatiya Kisan Ekta (BKE), said cotton crops had been damaged for several consecutive years due to pink bollworm, whitefly and heavy rainfall. He said that in Kharif 2023, instead of paying compensation, the insurance company returned farmers’ premiums after months of delay. Insurance claims for 25 villages under Kharif 2024 remain pending, he added.

Farmers are demanding compensation for recent floods and waterlogging, along with damage caused by overflow from the Hisar–Ghaggar drain. They are also seeking action to curb alleged cheating in grain markets, including a high-level probe into irregularities in paddy procurement at the Faggu grain market in Kalanwali.

Their demands include cracking down on gangs allegedly registering farmers fraudulently on the “Meri Fasal–Mera Byora” portal, investigating purported scams in millet procurement under the price-difference scheme and allowing direct purchase of cotton by the CCI by removing what they describe as unnecessary online systems.

Other demands include regular canal water supply, removal of increased tractor registration fees and an end to forced “tagging” of fertiliser bags at cooperative and private centres—something governments had earlier stated would not occur.

Farmers further want basmati rice in the Sirsa grain market to be bought through open bidding, pending horticulture subsidies to be released, and cases filed against farmers during the 2020 and 2024 farm movements to be withdrawn.