Farmers end 3-day agitation; decide to gherao officials

MOGA: Farmers and farm labourers today ended their three-day demonstration in front of administrative complexes of Amritsar and Moga and announced to gherao officials of procurement agencies from tomorrow to press for their demands which include appropriate compensation for crop damage.

Activists of eight farmers' unions and four Khet mazdoor unions after a three-hour meeting decided to lift dharnas and rallies both at Moga and Amritsar as part of their struggle against the Punjab government.

Farmers also held protest marches at the two places in support of their demands.

BKU (Ekta) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokari said that the farmers and farm labourers unions decided their next line of action and mode of struggle.

Between November 7 to 18, farmers will gherao the officials of procurement agencies at mandis across the state, he said.

He reiterated that farmers' struggle would continue until and unless their demands were accepted by the state government.

Protesting farmers were demanding Rs 5000 per quintal of MSP of Basmati, Rs 40,000 per acre compensation to farmers whose cotton crop were damaged by whitefly, Rs 20,000 per acre to farm labourers, Rs 5 lakh compensation to the families of farmers who had committed suicide and employment to the next of their kin.