Leaders of farmer organizations holding a meeting.
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
Farmers’ organizations have decided to march towards the Parliament on March 13 regarding their problems and various demands. Farmers organizations will also submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save Punjab from serious water crisis during this period. An important meeting of five farmer organizations Bhartiya Kisan Union Rajewal, All India Kisan Federation, Kisan Sangharsh Committee Punjab, Bharatiya Kisan Union Mansa and Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee was held at Kisan Bhawan in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
Presidents of all unions Balbir Singh Rajewal, Prem Singh Bhangu, Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu and Harjinder Singh Tanda were present in the meeting, while Bagh Singh Mansa gave his consent to the farmers’ proposal over phone. Farmer leader Prem Singh Bhangu said that after a thorough brainstorming in the meeting, it was realized that the central and state governments are not at all honest and serious about the plight of the agriculture sector and farmers. Farmer unions demanded separate budgets for agriculture at the Center and in the states to increase public investment in agriculture.
Farmer leaders said that Punjab has to be saved from a serious water crisis, as groundwater is depleting and river water is flowing out of the state due to wrong policies. Farmer leaders said that after the repeal of three agricultural laws, the central government backtracked from the promises made to the farmers. They demanded legal status to MSP including vegetables and fruits, total loan waiver of farmers and justice to Lakhimpur Kheri farmers as well as withdrawal of false cases filed against farmers in Delhi and elsewhere.
Gulzar Singh Salempur, Iqbal Singh Mandauli, Dalbir Singh Bedadpur, Paramjit Singh Baidwan, Kirpal Singh Siau, Gurmeet Singh Dhyanpur, Charanjit Singh Lachru, Sahib Singh and Malkit Singh Chandigarh were present on this occasion.
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