Farmer unions continue to protest against farm fire cases

Moga, January 21

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Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) and its allied farm unions continued to hold protests against the government in many districts of Punjab on the second consecutive day demanding withdrawal of cases registered against farmers for burning paddy straw, waiver of farm loans of the farmers holding a land of up to 5 acres, compensation of Rs10 lakh each for the families of farmers and farm labourers who had committed suicide.

The protests were being held at the district headquarters in Moga, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa, Bathinda, Muktsar, and Amritsar; at Payal in Ludhiana district, Jalalabad in Fazilka district, Zira in Ferozepur district and Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur district.

The protesting farmers raised slogans against the government. The farmers had made arrangements for food and night shelter to escape the cold wave.

Addressing the protesters at Moga, General Secretary of the BKU (Ekta), general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri demanded waiver of penalties imposed on the farmers by the Punjab State Pollution Control Board (PSPCB) for burning paddy straw.

Alleging that the farming community could not be solely blamed for air pollution, he demanded at least Rs200 per quintal for eco-friendly scientific management of paddy straw.

Sukhdev Kokri accused Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of betraying the farming community by running away from his pre-poll promises. “If Amarinder is serious on the issue of farmers’ suicides, he must completely waive-off the farm loans of farmers, who are holding a land of up to 5 acres,” he said.

Alleging that the Punjab Government has adopted “anti-employee and anti-farmer policies”, he lashed out at Capt Amarinder Singh for backtracking on the promise of one job to each family in the state.

Kokri demanded legal action against money lenders, who take blank cheques, pronotes and signatures on blank papers from the farmers while giving loans.

He demanded compensation of Rs10 lakh each for the families of farmers and farm labourers who had committed suicide, besides regular government job to at least one member of each family.

Kokri said steps must be taken by the Punjab Government to find a solution to the menace of stray cattle, which was causing crop losses and damage to trees.

He demanded implementation of Swaminathan report. — TNS