Minister Rana Gurjit Singh gheraoed over relief to cotton growers

Moga, November 9

Agitated over inadequate compensation to farmers who had lost their cotton crop to the pink bollworm attack, BKU (Ekta) activists today broke the security cordon of Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjit Singh at Nihalsinghwala town in the district. He was here to meet party workers in the run-up to the elections.

The farmers asked the minister as to why no legal action had been taken against the suppliers of spurious seeds and pesticides, which had led to the loss of cotton crop in the Malwa belt. They also lashed out at the minister for not giving adequate compensation to farmers. They claimed thousands of farmers in the district, besides Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar and Fazilka, had suffered losses but the government was not giving adequate compensation.

The minister’s cavalcade remained blocked for some time, before the police created a safe passage. — TNS