Protesting farmers to meet CM today, will seek crop loss relief

Bathinda, April 4

The protesting farmers demanding adequate compensation for damaged cotton crop due to pink bollworm attack and strict action against the Deputy Commissioner over cane-charge on farm labourers at Lambi will meet Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday to end the deadlock.

BKU Ekta Ugrahan general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan and Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union general secretary Lachhman Singh Sewewala said the Director, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, had through a letter invited them to a meeting with the Chief Minister at his official residence in Chandigarh at 2 pm on April 5.

They said during the meeting, they would raise the issue of improper girdawari being carried out by the authorities to assess the damaged cotton for compensation. Further, they would demand strict legal and departmental action against the Muktsar DC and Malout DSP for the cane-charge on workers.

The case registered against the labourers at the Lambi police station be withdrawn and all deserving farmers and labourers be immediately compensated by the government for the crop loss, they said.

They hoped for a satisfactory settlement of the legitimate demands of the farmers by the CM and said the ongoing struggle in front of the Muktsar DC office would continue until their demands were met.

The farmers have been on an indefinite protest at the District Administrative Complex in Muktsar since Wednesday. They were canecharged when they held captive a naib tehsildar and employees of the Revenue Department inside in Lambi. On Friday, they had held a mega protest rally, which was attended by farmers from the Malwa region.