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BKU Ekta (Ugrahan) holds protest outside DC Office in Ludhiana
BKU Ekta Ugrahan district president Charan Singh Noorpara and district general secretary Sudagar Singh Ghudani alleged that once again anti-farmer decision has been made by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) government
Farmers under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ekta (Ugrahan) on Thursday staged a protest outside the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office, Ludhiana, against the central government’s decision to cut wheat price based on wheat discolouration.
A memorandum was also submitted by the protesting farmers to DC Ludhiana seeking withdrawal of the decision.
BKU Ekta (Ugrahan) district president Charan Singh Noorpara and district general secretary Sudagar Singh Ghudani alleged that once again anti-farmer decision has been made by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) government.
“Of course, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of Punjab has also played an unpleasant joke with the farmers by announcing the compensation for 75 to 100% i.e. complete destruction of wheat as only ₹15,000 per acre. The compensation for this complete destruction caused by natural disaster is at least ₹50,000 to ₹55,000 per acre, in which the farmer is not even at fault. Instead of putting the burden of this disaster on the farmers who are already crushed under debts, the burden should be shared by the entire country through the government treasury, after all the farmer is the breadwinner of the country.”
The farmers’ leaders have alleged that by pushing the small-scale farmers out of agriculture and eliminating the sources of employment, such decisions are being made against the farmers under the policy of establishing the corporate farming model.
Through the demand letter, farmers have sought “immediate withdrawal of the decision of the Central government to reduce the rate of wheat based on tainted, spoiled and rotten grains. Full compensation should be given for crop damage and property damage caused by heavy rains, storms and hail. Uninterrupted procurement of whole wheat and other crops should be ensured at the fixed minimum support price.”
