Punjab to pay Rs 10L to family of farmer who died outside Bathinda thermal plant
Item
Title
Punjab to pay Rs 10L to family of farmer who died outside Bathinda thermal plant
Description
Bathinda: The state government has agreed to provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of farmer Joginder Singh, who died near the gate of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant in Bathinda on Wednesday. The district administration also agreed to consider giving a job to one of the family members and to waive aside institutional debt of the family. This decisions were taken following marathon meetings between farmer organisation BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and Bathinda district administration on late Wednesday and Thursday. The district administration also handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the family, while Rs 5 lakh will be given in a week. Joginder (56), from Cheema village in Sangrur district, had arrived at the thermal plant early Wednesday morning on a motorbike and sat on the dharna at one of its gates. He had with him a placard reading ‘Guru Nanak Dev Bathinda itihasik shaan, mai karda haan is nu vechan to rokan lei jind qurban’ (Guru Nanak Thermal plant Bathinda is historic place, I am ending my life against the proposal to sell it), a farm organisation flag and a placard with photo of Guru Nanak Dev. A couple of hours later, he collapsed near the gate. His family had availed loans from central cooperative bank, Cheema agriculture cooperative society and from a money lender. His Kulwinder Singh (30) said his father got emotional over the state government’s move to sell the land of thermal plant, named after Guru Nanak Dev, to Punjab urban planning and development authority (Puda). The family has four acre land at Cheema village. Kulwinder, who has done diploma in computer applications after completing his 10+2, said he and his father used to till the family land. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) state secretary Shingara Singh said the administration conceded to all the demands, including “compensation, job to his son and waiving off the family debt”. The thermal plant employees federation president Gursewak Singh urged the employees not to let the the sacrifice of Joginder go waste and to join hands to fight against the handing over of land to Puda. Bathinda deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said compensation has been given and administration is looking into other demands. Though the officials have still not received the viscera report, the district administration is considered it a suicide case for providing compensation the family, said an official.
Publisher
The Times of India
Date
2020-07-03
Coverage
Amritsar