After Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s assurance, farmer unions call off ‘chakka jam’

Chandigarh, August 2

Farmer unions in Punjab have called off their ‘chakka jam’ agitation, scheduled for Wednesday, after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured to amicably resolve all issues related to the agriculture sector.

The decision to call off the agitation was taken after a marathon meeting of leaders of 16 farmer unions with Mann at Punjab Bhawan tonight.

Announcing this after the three-hour meeting, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that he had assured the leaders that all pending dues of sugarcane growers would be cleared by the government (for cooperative sugar mills) by September 7.

“We have released Rs 100 crore to farmers last week. Another Rs 100 crore will be released by August 15 and all remaining dues will be cleared by September 7,” announced Mann.

“We will also initiate action against private sugar mill owners who have not cleared the pending dues,” he said.

He added that compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to families of farmers who had died during the course of the agitation will be released soon.

The CM said a number of issues raised by farmer leaders, concerning the Government of India, would be taken up by him with the Centre.

He also said that FIRs registered against farmers for burning of paddy straw and during the course of the agitation against farm laws would be withdrawn.

Jagjit Singh Dallewal, president, BKU Sidhupur, stated that they had been assured that pending cases against the farmers registered in Punjab during the farmers’ agitation would be taken back.

He added that the Punjab DGP and Chandigarh DGP have been instructed to take back the cases registered in Chandigarh. He reiterated that the ‘chakka jam’ call for August 3 has been postponed.

The next meeting of the union leaders with the CM will now be held in September.