Farmers hold protest, demand compensation

Excelsior Correspondent

Farmers raising slogans during protest at Samba on Friday. —Excelsior/Gautam
Farmers raising slogans during protest at Samba on Friday. —Excelsior/Gautam

SAMBA, Mar 14: Threatening to launch agitation against the administration, hundreds of people including farmers staged a protest demonstration at office of the Deputy Commissioner.
Hundreds of people from Barota, Kajyal, Kamore, Kamore camp, Lagwal, Rangoor, Rangoor Camp, Babral, Chak Paras, Jagatpur, Govind Garh, Nanga Majra villages took out a protest rally and reached the DC Samba office.
Led by senior Congress leader and former Minister Manjit Singh, the protesters raised slogans against the administration for its ignorant attitude towards the border farmers who have been facing trouble following flash flood in Basanter-Devak river.
The protesters alleged that the flood water, in the recent rains, broke the already damaged bandh made to protect agriculture land and villages along the river.
“The river water has entered into the fields damaging standing crop”, Manjit Singh added.
Chief Minister should take personal interest in the redressal of the farmer’s problem.
“The Government should enhance the compensation amount from Rs 300 per kanal to Rs 2000 per kanal as the farmers have spent much more money than they were offered by the Government following past flash flood in the border villages of Vijaypur”, Singh said.
After hour long demonstration, Manjit Singh handed over a memorandum of demands to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah though Deputy Commissioner, Samba.
He hoped that PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would take quick steps for the solution of problem.
“The administration has 15 days time to consider demand of the suffering farmers. If the demands are not met within stipulated time, they would be forced to launch agitation and then, administration would be responsible”, he warned.
Among others present were Capt Swaran Singh, Manjit Singh, Balwant Singh Nagra, Capt Swaran Choudhary, Mahesh Kumar, Sarpanch Natha Ram, Joginder Singh, Caption Bahadur Singh, Panch Gurdass, Gurbachan Singh, Rajja Choudhary, Master Mela Ram, Raj Kumar, Jeet Lal, Darshan, Babal Gupta, etc.