16 days on, BKU ends stir over tardy lifting

The BKU (Ugrahan) today ended its protest against tardy paddy procurement and lifting, which had been going on since October 18 at Sangrur, Dhuri, Sunam, Lehra and Dirba.

At Sangrur, the dharna was being held in front of the residence of BJP leader Arvind Khanna and at Sunam near the residence of Cabinet Minister Aman Arora. Dharnas were also being held outside the offices of CM Bhagwant Mann at Dhuri, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema at Dirba and Cabinet Minister Barinder Goyal at Lehra.

The protest by the BKU (Ugrahan) at the Kalajhar toll plaza (near Bhawanigarh) and the Chotian village toll plaza in the Lehra area will continue.

BKU (Ugrahan) press secretary Jagtar Singh Kalajhar said dharnas had been lifted to organise pucca morchas from November 4 in front of the residences of BJP and APP candidates contesting the Assembly bypolls at Barnala, Chabbewal, Dera Baba Nanak and Gidderbaha. He said in Barnala, the pucca morchas would begin on November 4 at residences of BJP candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon and AAP candidate Harinder Singh Dhaliwal.

Kalajhar said the procurement of paddy and lifting were still slow in the grain markets due to which farmers had been facing harassment while selling their produce. He said in the light of this, the BKU (Ugrahan) would organise a massive rally on November 3 at the Kalajhar toll plaza near Bhawanigarh.

Meanwhile, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) activists today lifted their dharna outside the residence of Jalalabad AAP MLA Jagdeep Kamboj. However, union senior vice-president Gurmeet Singh Mannewala said they would continue to lay siege to toll plazas.

Another farmer dies at Shambhu

Patiala: Another farmer has lost his life at the Shambhu protest site. The deceased has been identified as Balwinder Singh (72) of Moga. He owned three acres. After he fell severely ill, Balwinder was rushed to a hospital in Rajpura from where he was referred to Patiala, and finally taken to the PGI, Chandigarh, where he died on Friday night. TNS