Farmers To Hold Meeting With Punjab CM On Loan Waiver And Compensation

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will meet farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee today to take their demands to the Centre.

Farmers have been pressurizing the Punjab government over several key demands including debt waiver, cancellation of FIRs against farmers during the protests, and low compensation for land acquired for highway projects.

Notably, farmer unions, part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) have over the past few days put up demonstrations demanding loan waiver and compensation to the families of those who died during protests.

Railway tracks at different places in Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Hoshiarpur were blocked on Monday and Tuesday by the farmers affecting 156 trains. 84 trains were cancelled, 47 short-terminated and 25 short-originated, according to Ferozepur division railway officials.

A group of farmers also staged a sit-in outside the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) in Ludhiana on Wednesday. DC Varinder Kumar Sharma, who was not allowed to move out for lunch by the protesting farmers, finally came out of his office in the evening under a security cover.

As a result of the agitations, Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi decided to meet the protesting farmers to discuss the demands placed before the government. The members of 32 farm unions met in Ludhiana on Saturday to finalise their agenda head of today's meet.

Farmer leaders Harinder Lakhowal, Prem Singh Bhangu, Hardev Singh Sandhu, Kirpa Singh, and Kiranjit Singh Sekhon said,  "Farm debt waiver, cancellation of FIRs lodged against farmers during agitation, and low compensation given for land acquired for highway projects are major issues that we will take up".

Bhangu added, "The state government had assured us that FIRs lodged against farmers during the stir in the state will be cancelled and the issue of cases lodged in Chandigarh will be taken up with the governor. Nothing has happened."

Lakhowal further added that they will be demanding compensation for the lands acquired for projects at current market rates. The protests from toll plazas will not be lifted, till the hike in charges was not rolled back, they said.

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