Ratia, November 12 (Advocate Gurpreet Singh Mander):- Farmers' anger erupted on Thursday over the demand for adequate compensation for paddy crops destroyed by the hailstorm on October 24 in several villages of the area and for making the survey report public. Hundreds of affected farmers, under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and the All India Kisan Sabha, gathered at the Ratia SDM office, staged a strong protest and held a sit-in. After the sit-in, the farmers also submitted a memorandum to the SDM, Ratia, highlighting their key demands. The protest was presided over by Karnail Singh, Ratia Tehsil President of the Kisan Sabha, while Tehsil Secretary Mangat Ram conducted the proceedings. Kisan Sabha District President Vishnudutt and District Secretary Master Rajendra Batu addressed the gathering as the main speakers.
Government Has Failed to Wipe Farmers' Tears Even After 19 Days
Addressing the sit-in, the main speakers, District President Vishnudutt and District Secretary Master Rajendra Batu, said that the severe hailstorm on October 24 had completely destroyed the standing, mature paddy crops of farmers in several villages of the area. Even 19 days after this natural disaster, the government and administration had done nothing to wipe the tears of the affected farmers. Expressing their anguish, the leaders said that while the entire country was buying gold and jewellery on Dhanteras and celebrating Diwali, the homes of food providers were plunged into mourning due to crop losses. They warned that if the administration failed to provide justice and full compensation to the farmers soon, the agitation would be intensified. On this occasion, farmer leaders Kewal Singh, Amar Singh, Chhatrapal Singh, Manish Siwach, Pawan Kumar from DYFI, Hameed Samain, Balwinder Singh Nain, Rajendra Chahal from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Kheti Bachao), along with office-bearers of various farmers' organisations and affected farmers, also shared their views and raised slogans against government policies.
Key Demands Raised in the Memorandum
In the memorandum submitted to the SDM, the farmers raised several issues and sought their immediate resolution from the administration. They demanded that the survey report of the damaged paddy crop be made public immediately. They sought 100 per cent compensation for the destroyed crops to ensure justice for the affected farmers. They demanded that compensation be assessed by treating each acre, rather than the entire village, as the unit. They also called for the removal of the five-acre limit for recording crop damage, demanding that the entire damaged land be registered on the portal and compensation be paid for the full affected area. The farmers further demanded a waiver of six months' electricity bills and interest on bank loans for affected farmers during this difficult period. They sought free seeds, fertilisers, fuel and pesticides for the upcoming wheat sowing season. They also demanded punitive action against insurance companies that had wrongly recorded crop losses and that such companies be compelled to provide full compensation.
