Tribune News Service
Muktsar, October 14
A day after their talks with senior officials in the state government failed, cotton farmers today intensified their stir and gheraoed Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal’s residence at Badal village from rear as well. Earlier, they were lodging a protest near his residence.
Burning of effigies deferred by a day
Jalandhar: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has postponed by a day for October 16 its events to burn effigies of PM Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in protest against the deaths of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. TNS
Meanwhile, their indefinite protest entered Day 10 today. The farmers from five districts — Muktsar, Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka and Faridkot — are protesting under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), demanding a compensation of Rs 60,000 per acre for the damage to cotton crop due to pink bollworm. Besides, they are demanding a relief of Rs 30,000 for every farm labourer’s family.
The protesting farmers said even during the SAD-BJP government in 2015, whitefly had destroyed the cotton crop and they got just Rs 8,000 per acre compensation. Farmer leader Ram Singh Bhainibagha, who attended the meeting with officials yesterday, had said the Principal Secretary told us that the government could give a maximum of Rs 12,000 per acre compensation to the farmers. “The Congress is trying to compensate us inadequately too,” farmers said.
They claimed the Bathinda district administration through a tehsildar and a DSP tried to reach out to them today.
Cotton farmers gherao Manpreet Badal’s residence
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