Demanding irrigation pipeline, farmers block track in Mansa

Mansa, January 30

Farmers, under the banner of the BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan), today blocked the Delhi-Bathinda railway track for a few hours at Khokhar Khurd village in Mansa over the issue of not laying an irrigation pipeline below the track which is affecting around 800 acres.

Later, the farmers ended their protest following the assurance from the district administration that it would take up the matter with the state government.

BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan) district chief Ram Singh Bhainibagha said in the past six months, they had held five meetings, but nothing materialised. In the last meeting on December 10, tehsildar, naib tehsildar and SDO (Irrigation) had visited Khokhar Khurd and assured the villagers that the work would start on December 30. However, the work has not yet started.

He said the Punjab Government had not paid Rs 1.25 crore to the Railways Department for the construction. He said, “The SDM and DSP today gave us assurance that within one week the government will pay Rs 1.25 crore to the department.”

Mansa DC Baldeep Kaur said, “In 2012, Khokhar Kalan and Khokhar Khurd decided to have a separate irrigation channel. At that time, villagers agreed to pay the construction cost, which they estimated around Rs 10 lakh. After officials said the the pipeline will cost around Rs 1.25 crore, they want the government to pay for it.”