Up in arms against the limit of 25 quintals yield per acre of paddy and seeking compensation for pink bollworm attack on cotton crop, thousands of farmers held a massive protest against the state government at the grain market in Barnala on Sunday.
Gathered under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur), the protesters criticised the Congress-led state government for not fulfilling its pre-poll promises of employment and farm debt waiver.
BKU (Sidhupur) chief Jagjit Singh Dallewal, and actor and director Amitoj Maan, along with other farmer leaders, opposed the “anti-farmer” policies of successive governments.
Dallewal said, “Punjab government has put a cap of 25 quintals yield per acre for paddy procurement. What will farmers do with the rest of the produce? The government has also not given any compensation to cotton farmers who suffered damages due to the pink bollworm attack. Though the kin of farmers, who lost their lives at the Delhi border after November 26, 2020, were given assistance, we also want aid for farmers who died in Punjab earlier.”
“The Congress government had promised employment to youth and complete debt waiver to farmers. But these remain unfulfilled even when the government is going to complete its tenure. If farmers can fight the central government, we can struggle against the state government as well. Only a new face of the chief minister will not work. It is the responsibility of the CM to fulfil the party’s pre-poll promises,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“The Congress government had promised employment to youth and complete debt waiver to farmers. But these remain unfulfilled even when the government is going to complete its tenure. If farmers can fight the central government, we can struggle against the state government as well. Only a new face of the chief minister will not work. It is the responsibility of the CM to fulfil the party’s pre-poll promises,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Actor Amitoj Maan said had the elected leaders been good, farmers would not have to hold protests. “We will choose the right representatives. If anyone wants to achieve something through the farmer agitation, we will expose them. But we will appreciate those who contribute to it,” he said from the stage.