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Sangrur farmers gherao tehsildar after combine operator fined
Irate farmers gheraoed Sunam tehsildar Gurleen Kaur and other revenue officials on Sunday after the district administration imposed a Rs 2-lakh fine on a combine
Irate farmers gheraoed Sunam tehsildar Gurleen Kaur and other revenue officials on Sunday after the district administration imposed a Rs 2-lakh fine on a combine operator and impounded his machine operating without super straw management system (Super SMS) near Jakhepal village.
The farmers gheraoed the officials around 1pm and raised slogans against the administration for impounding the machine.
Protesters also demanded that FIRs registered against farmers for stubble burning in the area be quashed.
Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Manjeet Kaur, accompanied by police officials, reached the site late in evening. The protest was lifted after 8pm after the SDM promised to look into their grievances.
Meanwhile, eight farmers were arrested for stubble burning in the district on Sunday and 63 FIRs were registered.
“We gheraoed the tehsildar and her staff who impounded a combine. The farmers and combine operators can’t afford to pay fines,” said Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) leader Jaswant Singh.
SDM Manjeet Kaur said the fine was imposed against the combine operator by the agriculture department and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) as the machine was being run without Super SMS.
KANUNGO, 2 PATWARIS SUSPENDED FOR DELAYING REPORTS
Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori suspended a kanungo and two patwaris for delaying submission of reports regarding stubble burning incidents in Dhuri subdivision.
Thori said Dhuri kanungo Gopal Krishan, patwaris Ashutosh Kumar and Swatantra Kumar were suspended as they were not submitting daily reports on stubble burning.
