look news india
Chandigarh: The leaders of the farmers and labourers, who were on a dharna demanding that the Punjab government should make the agriculture policy public from September 1, held a meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in Chandigarh on Thursday. In the meeting that lasted for about three and a half hours, almost a consensus was reached on many demands.
The Chief Minister remained in the meeting for about two and a half hours, while in the meeting of about an hour, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khurian discussed the demands of the farmers. BKU Ekta Ugrahan President Joginder Singh Ugrahan, General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, Jhanda Singh Jethuke, Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union President Jora Singh Nasrali, General Secretary Lachman Singh Sewewala, Harmesh Maldi, Shingara Singh Mann, Jagtar Singh Kalajhar, Roop Singh Channa and Janak Singh Bhutal were present.
Farmer leader Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said that the Chief Minister said that the draft of the agricultural policy of about 1600 pages will be handed over to both the organizations by September 30 and has assured to hold a meeting with the farmers after their suggestions. Two organizations again. The Chief Minister should settle the land mortgage bank and cooperative bank loans in one go, and in villages where the number of farmers is up to ten, the obstacles coming in the way of giving loans should be removed by making agricultural workers members of cooperative societies. There were demands to give ownership rights on vacant acres of land, stop displacement of settled farmers and laborers, give compensation to the victims who committed suicide after 2010 by conducting a survey, stop taking ten percent of the cost from farmers in laying pipes. He has assured to resolve the demands of giving possession of canals, cut plots, stopping factories that pour polluted water into canals and rivers including Budha Nala in three months. Similarly, it was decided to give compensation of fifty thousand rupees per acre for rotten wheat in village Ghuda of Bathinda district and compensation for dead animals in Raike Kalan by 30th September, in which the decision to participate in daily wages from the first place was canceled. Discussion was also held on MNREGA.
He said that a decision will be taken in the meeting of the provincial leadership of the organization regarding the ongoing dharna in Sector 34, but sources say that the farmers are satisfied with the meeting with the Chief Minister and a decision can be taken on this. End the dharna on Friday.
