Farmers Movement Archive

Will not allow Haryana govt to sell Agro mall of Karnal and Panipat: Tikait

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait slammed Haryana government’s decision to sell agro malls of Karnal and Panipat to private players and said that farmers will not allow the government to do so at any cost.“If the government was unable to run this agro mall, they can return the land to the owners,” he said.Tikait said the proposal to sell agro malls is the beginning of the government’s plan to promote privatisation in the agriculture sector.Tikait urged farmers of Haryana to get united and fight tooth-and-nail against the decision. He also asked local leaders of the Bhartiya Kisan Union to not allow any private trader to buy this agro mall and lock any official or buyer.As per officials, the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board had invited applications from interested parties for the e-auction of the Agro Malls of Karnal and Panipat. “As per the notification, the e-auction of the agromall of Panipat and Karnal has been fixed on November 18 as the other formalities had already been completed on November 9,” said an HSAMB official pleading anonymity. Tikait rubbished reports of rifts between leaders of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and said that all leaders are united. On Haryana BKU president Gurnam Singh Charuni’s call for foot-march from Ambala to Delhi’s Tikri border via Rohtak on November 25, Tikait said this might be Charuni’s own decision but the SKM to take out the march on November 24.Charuni for fielding candidates in Punjab pollsCharuni also held a meeting of his supporters and leaders of other farmer unions of state at a gurdwara on Monday and another such meeting has been called on November 18 in Karnal. He said he was in favour of fielding candidates from all assembly constituencies in Punjab. He also said that the decision on the final date of the protest march on the anniversary of farmers agitation will be taken unanimously. Charuni also supported Tikait’s decision to protest the auction of agro-malls.

Hindustan Times

16-11-2021

Chandigarh