After their meeting with admn is cancelled, protesting Muktsar farmers break police barricades and protest outside Manpreet Badal’s house

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 9

After the district administration backtracked from its Friday’s promise to hold a meeting of protesting farmers with the Principal Sceretary to Chief Minister in Chandigarh on Saturday, a large number of protesting farmers on Saturday broke police barricades and reached outside Finance Minister Manpreet Badal’s residence at Badal village.

They have started an indefinite protest outside Manpreet’s residence, pitching a tent by blocking both the entrances.

Earlier, they were sitting metres away from his residence.

They had gheraoed Manpreet’s residence on Thursday for two hours.

The farmers are demanding Rs 60,000 per-acre compensation for the damage of cotton crop due to pink bollworm. Besides, they are demanding Rs 30,000 per acre relief for each farm labourer’s family.

The farmers from five districts – Muktsar, Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka and Faridkot – are lodging their protest under the banner of Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan).

A farmer leader said the district administration told them that Saturday’s meeting stood cancelled as the Chief Minister was busy till October 13.