Month on, farmers continue protest outside DC's office in Mansa

Mansa, November 15

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Farmers under the banner of the BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur) have been protesting for the past 35 days outside the Deputy Commissioner office here. They are demanding compensation for the cotton crop damage due to pink bollworm infestation and untimely rain, collapse of labourers’ houses in heavy downpour and ‘red entries’ in revenue records of farmers for stubble-burning by the administration.

Union leaders alleged that the state government and the district administration had remained indifferent towards their genuine demands and now, they had given a protest call during which highways would be blocked on November 16.

Kaka Singh Kotra, state general secretary of the union, said, “It has been more than a month since farmers have been protesting outside the DC office in Mansa but not even our single demand has been met till now.”

He said, “Compensation for cotton crop damage and collapsed houses during heavy rain this year, ‘red entries’ in revenue records of farmers for burning paddy stubble, restarting operations at sugarcane mills and compensation to farmers whose animals have fallen prey to lumpy skin disease are some of our genuine demands.”

“Like previous governments run by traditional political parties, the AAP has also failed miserably to protect interests of farmers and the labour class,” he added.

Makhan Singh Bhaini Bagha, district secretary of the union said, “DAP fertiliser is not available at co-operative societies and it can be bought in markets only. We demand that the government must also give relaxation in moisture content (permissible limit 17 per cent) for purchase of the paddy crop in view of the change in weather recently.”