E-Paper
Farmers lay siege to rail tracks in Batala, demand ‘fair’ compensation for crop loss
Farmers owing allegiance to Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) laid siege to Amritsar-Jammu railway line at the Batala railway station in Gurdaspur in support of various demands, including adequate compensation for the damaged wheat crop and vegetables
Batala: Farmers owing allegiance to Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC) laid siege to Amritsar-Jammu railway line at the Batala railway station in Gurdaspur in support of various demands, including adequate compensation for the damaged wheat crop and vegetables.
Farmers put up tents at the railway station and squatted on the rail tracks. The rail traffic remained hit as protesting farmers, including women, shouted slogans against the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government.
Addressing the protesters, KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said: “The CM has announced the government will compensate farmers for the crop loss due to rain, but nothing has been done so far. The government should give a compensation of ₹50,000 per acre to farmers.”
Pandher said they are also demanding fair compensation for land acquired for the Jammu-Katra Expressway project.
He also sought relaxation of norms for the procurement of wheat for the central pool.
Untimely rains, hailstorms and high-velocity winds have damaged wheat and other crops in many areas of Punjab. The state government has announced a 25% hike in compensation for crop loss due to the vagaries of weather.
He also demanded that the state government should waive interest on farm loans and defer loan instalments for six months to provide relief to farmers in the hour of crisis.
He also said that the state government should expedite the process of special ‘girdawari’ (revenue survey) for the assessment of crop loss and ensure farmers are compensated at the earliest.
