Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab: 2 women, who died in farm law protests on Oct 9, to be cremated after govt pays up

BATHINDA: Two elderly women who died during protests against the Centre’s agriculture-marketing laws on October 9 will finally be cremated as the Punjab government on Sunday agreed to pay Rs 10-lakh compensation to each of their families. The state government agreed to pay the compensation amounts, in installments of Rs 5 lakh each, after farm organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) kept on exerting pressure on it, claimed an office-bearer of the faction of Bharatiya Kisan Union. The bodies of Tej Kaur (80), who hailed from Barey village in Mansa, and Megh Raj (62) who was from Nagri village in Sangrur, had been kept at the civil hospitals of Mansa and Sangrur, respectively, for 23 days. The state government provided a cheque of Rs 5 lakh each to the families on Sunday and assured to pay the Rs 5-lakh balamce to them on the day of bhog. The families agreed to the cremations only after being paid the compensation. Tej Kaur had lost her balance on railway tracks at Budhlada town of Mansa and fell on tracks. She died on the spot due to head injury. The same day, Megh suffered a cardiac arrest at a protest outside a Reliance petrol pump at Benra village in Sangrur. BKU Ekta Ugrahan secretary Ram Singh Bhainibagha said, “The state government provided cheques of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh cash in both cases and rest will be given on bhog day. The government promised to look for jobs to one of the family members. The organisation had taken up the matter with state government and had decided to intensify the protest from today onwards.” Mansa deputy commissioner Mohinder Pal said, “The compensation has been provided and rest will be provided later. The families have agreed for cremation.”

The Times of India

2020-11-02

Chandigarh