Seeking dues, 4 cane growers climb atop Dhuri SDM office

Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, March 25

Four sugarcane farmers on Monday climbed on the roof of the Dhuri SDM’s office and started a protest for the release of their dues. They carried a bottle of petrol and celphos tablets with them. This is the third such protest by sugarcane farmers. In Dhuri, two protests have been going on for the release of Rs 80 crore of cane-growers’ dues.

Harjeet Singh Bugra, one of the farmers sitting atop the SDM’s office, said they had started an indefinite hunger strike. “In case the police try to remove us forcibly, we will consume celphos,” he said. The other three include Sarbjit Singh Alal, Santokh Singh and Jagmale Singh.

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters reached the SDM and tehsildar’s offices and closed their gates. They blocked all exit and entry points to the offices. Dhuri SDM Satwant Singh, Tehsildar Harmider Singh Hundal along with their staff are held “hostage” in their offices by cane growers, who have refused to release the officers till the release of their dues.

“We are demanding our money and not seeking any waiver. But neither the state government nor the Sangrur administration is serious. We will further intensify our agitation if our payment is not released immediately,” said Gurmeet Singh, a protester.

Cane growers with their families have been sitting on an dharna on the Sangrur-Dhuri road since March 7.

The BKU (Lakhowal) with the support of various organisations, including BKU (Rajewal), Kul Hind Kisan Sabha Punjab, Kisan Mukti Morcha and AAP, has started an indefinite hunger strike in front of the sugar mill.

SDM Satwant Singh said he along with the tehsildar had been sitting in their office as the protesters were not allowing them to leave. The situation was same till the filing of the report.

“The government has cleared pending dues of 11 crore last week. No payment is pending with the government now. Mill owners have applied for 25 crore loan from the SBI and 15 crore loan from the PNB,” said Ghanshyam Thori, DC, Sangrur.

Clear dues with 20% interest: SAD

Chandigarh: The SAD on Monday accused Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh of denying sugarcane farmers their dues after promising to clear pending payments. Former minister and SAD Kisan Wing president Sikander Singh Maluka said it did not behove a Chief Minister to give promises to farmer unions and not implement them and demanded all late payments be cleared along with 20 per cent interest. TNS

Farmers left to fend for themselves: Cheema

Chandigarh: The AAP has taken umbrage at the way the state government had been issuing notices to gag the voice of cane growers. Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema said: “The notice served on the agitating farmers by the Dhuri SDM was a dictatorial decision on part of the government. The farmers have been left to fend for themselves due to anti-farmer policies of the earlier SAD-BJP government and now the Congress.” TNS