E-Paper
Official on duty to check farm fire held hostage by BKU in Bathinda
Official reached Bathinda village to cross-verify the case of the farm fire. On finding a government employee checking burnt fields, villagers gathered in large numbers. It was the second such incident by BKU in the last two weeks.
An official of the state cooperative department on duty to check paddy stubble burning was held hostage for over five hours by the activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) at Bathinda’s Mehma Sarja village on Saturday.
It was the second such incident by the BKU in the last two weeks.
The district authorities got an alert that a fire was reported in the village on Friday.
The official, Jasbir Singh, reached the village around 11 am today to cross-verify the case of the farm fire. On finding a government employee checking burnt fields, villagers gathered in large numbers.
BKU activists did not allow Jasbir to complete his work and expressed resentment at the district administration’s move to take action against farmers for burning crop residue.
As protesters gheraoed him in the fields, Jasbir alerted his superiors about the situation.
However, it took over five hours for the senior officials to intervene and rescued him at around 4.30 pm.
Block development and panchayat officer (BDPO), Goniana, who reached the spot, told reporters that the officials are hesitant for field duties to detect farm fires due to the incidents of holding them hostage by the farmer unions.
“District administration will be apprised of the ground situation,” he said.
