Farmers Movement Archive

Haryana govt trying to save officer: SKM

Bathinda: Alleging the action taken by the Haryana government to transfer Karnal SDM Ayush Sinha, along with several other officers, was “only a protection and promotion”, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha threatened that unless the SDM was sacked and a murder case registered against him by Monday, they would further intensify their protest. The group of farm bodies said the action by the government was “completely insufficient and deceitful towards the farmers”. SKM condemned the lathicharge on KKU workers at Moga in Punjab and demanded immediate action against the officials there too. The farmers were lathicharged when they were “peacefully going to talk” to Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal, it said. The farmers’ anger is rising against the new rules proposed by the Union government for the purchase of paddy. In the new standards being set, the purchase of broken grains has been reduced from 25% to 20%, moisture content is being reduced from 15% to 14%, the percentage of purchase of damaged paddy to be reduced from 3% to 2%, and red grains which had a limit of 3% till now, will no longer be purchased. It is clear from the norms being set by the government, that it wanted to buy minimal paddy from the farmers at the support price. Farm unions of Punjab have refused to accept the new norms, while condemning and opposing them. SKM stated that as per decision taken at its national convention on August 26-27 at Singhu border, meetings have begun in various states for the formation of coordination committees. Meetings have already been held in Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh. Meetings are lined up in Madhya Pradesh on September 3, at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on September 9 and in Bihar on September 11. SKM want to set up coordination committees in all the states before September 25 to organise ‘Bharat Bandh’ more effectively than before by ensuring the participation of more organisations. SKM also said that preparations for the Muzaffarnagar kisan mahapanchayat on September 5 were going in full swing.

The Times of India

2021-09-03

Chandigarh