Farmers Call Off Proposed Protest After Punjab CM Accepts Demands

Mumbai: The farmer bodies on Tuesday called off their proposed protest scheduled for Wednesday after Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann accepted most of their demands. Sugarcane dues stand at ₹195.60 crores and out of which ₹100 crores will be paid by August 15, CM said.

Mann held a four-hour-long meeting with farmer leaders, and it was led by Jagjit Singh Dhaliwal, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (Sidhupur) in Chandigarh on Tuesday evening.

The farmers had earlier announced that they would block national highways at three places in Punjab’s Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions on August 3 if the state government failed to address their issues, including non-payment of cane arrears. ,

After the meeting, CM Mann said, “I am committed to the welfare of farmers, and during my tenure, they will not have to protest for their genuine demands,” news agency PTI reported.

He said that sugarcane arrears stood at Rs 195.60 crore, out of which Rs 100 crore would be paid by August 15 and the remaining Rs 95.60 crore by September 7.

“We have decided to quash the FIR lodged against farmers for stubble burning and agitation,” he said.

Mann also said that dues of government and cooperative sugar mills will be cleared by September 7 and private sugar mills, except Phagwara sugar mills, have assured that they will clear the dues by the same date.

The farmers owe Rs 72 crore to the Phagwara sugar mill and Rs 20 crore will be recovered after the auction of the land.

Meanwhile, BKU Sidhupur President Jagjit Singh Dallewal, while announcing the end of the strike, said that the next meeting of the farmers’ organization will be held on September 7.

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