Kisan sangharsh panel members’ stir enters second day; meet ministers in Chandigarh
Tribune News service
Amritsar, September 29
Members of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee continued with its indefinite dharna outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office for the second day on Wednesday to putting forth various demands of the farmers.
The farmer leaders also held a meeting with senior functionaries of the state government, including Deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh Nabha and Lok Sabha member Jasbir Singh Dimpa in Chandigarh on Wednesday to discuss the issues.
Committee’s general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher said the meeting, which lasted over two hours, was held with the Agriculture Minister and others from the ruling government during which the issues faced by the farmers were discussed.
He added that issues of payment of dues of sugarcane, compensation for cotton growers, withdrawal of FIRs against farmers, jobs for kin of the farmers who died during the farmers’ agitation, waiving of Rs 1,200 electricity bills and increase of condition of one kilo watt to two kilo watt for labour families had been accepted by the state government.
Pandher said so far the government had not accepted the demands of complete loan waiver for farmers and labourers and constitution of Basmati Trading Corporation.
He said the committee’s core leadership would be meeting on Thursday to chalk out the future course of action and the assurances given by the Congress leaders would be put before the members after which a decision would be taken.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, a farmers’ organization which has its roots in the Majha belt, is not a part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a consortium of 32-farmer unions to fight against the three agriculture laws. While it had participated in the Bharat Bandh call given by SKM for September 27, it also continued with its parallel actions.
Even during the bandh, it had resorted to blocking railway tracks, which was not a part of the SKM’s plan. The
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