Farmer unions step up activities: Ugrahan announces polls, Dakounda warns of protests
BKU Ekta Ugrahan has released the district election schedule ahead of its state conference, while BKU Dakounda has called for statewide protests against DAP fertilizer and debt rules.
Farmer unions in Punjab have started preparations for organizational activities and agitations at their own levels. Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan has charted out a program to hold elections from villages to districts as a preparation for the state conference, while Bharatiya Kisan Union Dakounda has announced opening a front against the government over farmers' demands.
BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, senior vice president Jhanda Singh Jethuke and state secretary Shingara Singh Mann stated that elections for village units have been nearly completed. Now elections will be held in all blocks by November 10, followed by the election of district-level teams between November 10 and 20.
According to Ugrahan union leaders, district committees will be elected on November 10 in Barnala and Mansa, November 11 in Fazilka and Patiala, November 12 in Malerkotla and Sri Muktsar Sahib, November 13 in Faridkot and Sangrur, November 14 in Bathinda, and November 15 in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. Dates for Ludhiana, Mohali, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Firozpur will be decided later, after which a state conference will be held to form the new provincial committee.
On the other hand, during a meeting held at Tarkashil Bhawan in Barnala, BKU Dakounda decided to adopt the path of agitation. State president Buta Singh Burjgill and general secretary Jagmohan Singh Patiala stated that protests will be held outside DR offices across the state on November 2 November against the shortage of DAP fertilizer and the anti-farmer notification issued by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.
Dakounda leaders alleged that the resolutions passed in the assembly on the river water issue are not in accordance with the written promises made by the government during the Chandigarh agitation. To decide the next course of action on this issue, the front has called a gathering of leaders in Ludhiana city on November 3.
Senior vice president of the union Gurmeet Singh Bhattiwal said that the government has not taken any concrete steps regarding the debt settlement scheme and sugarcane prices. The meeting also demanded a compensation of 50 thousand rupees per acre for crops destroyed by unseasonal rain and hailstorms, and justice for the family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota.
Key developments
- BKU Ekta Ugrahan announces block elections by November 10 and district elections from November 10 to 20.
- BKU Dakounda to stage protests outside DR offices across Punjab on November 2 against fertilizer shortage and new notification.
- Farmer leaders to gather in Ludhiana on November 3 to deliberate on resolutions passed in the assembly.
- Demand raised for 50 thousand rupees per acre as compensation for damaged crops.
