SKM holds statewide protests, seeks judicial probe into floods, relief for affected farmers
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) spearheaded the three-hour dharna outside the district administrative complexes (DACs).
Various constituents of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) staged statewide protests across 23 districts, including Bathinda, Mansa and Moga, Sangrur and Ludhiana, to press for the demand of a judicial probe by a sitting Supreme Court (SC) judge into the recent floods.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) spearheaded the three-hour dharna outside the district administrative complexes (DACs).
In a statement, SKM stated that activists of various unions, including Kulhind Kisan Sabha, BKU (Dakaunda), BKU (Mansa), BKU (Dhaner) and Kirti Kisan Union, were among those who participated in the protest at different places.
The SKM leadership said the floods were not just a natural disaster but the result of “mismanagement” by the authorities and batted for a judicial probe to fix the responsibility for human errors.
They accused the state government of delay in disbursement of compensation to the affected villagers and blamed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab for maintaining non-transparency in the ₹12,000-crore disaster relief fund.
Leaders said that since the construction of dams, silt has not been removed, leading to a 20% reduction in their storage capacity.
“No attention was given to strengthening river banks and embankments or cleaning rivers and drains. Negligence in releasing water from dams also led to the breaking of gates at Madhopur works. For this grave situation, the central government, Punjab government and Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) are blaming each other. The SKM demands a judicial inquiry into the entire matter and legal action against those responsible,” said Balkaran Singh Brar, state general secretary of the Kulhind Kisan Sabha.
Senior leader of the Ekta Ugrahan faction of the BKU, Harinder Singh Baghi, lamented the state government for initiating punitive action against farmers involved in burning of paddy stubble.
He said that the SKM does not encourage the practice but the authorities failed to provide incentive to assist farmers for safe disposal of the crop residue.
“Before acting against farmers, the government should implement the recommendations of the National Green Tribunal, provide machinery for stubble management or pay ₹200 per quintal as expenses or ₹7,000 per acre for biomass management. The authorities failed to equip rice growers with the required support. Paddy residue has a wide range of usage in different industries and the state government should get it from farmers as a measure of effective crop waste management,” he added.
Meanwhile, farm unions under the banner of SKM staged demonstrations outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Ludhiana on Tuesday.
The farmers gathered outside the DC office, raising slogans against both the Centre and the Punjab government.
In Sangrur, hundreds of farmers gathered under the banner of the SKM and staged a protest outside the DC’s office and submitted a memorandum through district administration addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann demanding compensation for floods and to improve agricultural policies.
Joginder Singh Ugrahan, state president of BKU Ekta Ugrahan, said the people of Punjab suffered huge losses due to the rains and floods that began in the last week of August. Lives were lost, homes were damaged or destroyed, livestock was washed away, fields were covered in silt, and crops were damaged. Ugrahan alleged that these floods were not merely a natural calamity but a disaster caused by human negligence and the long-term effects of climate change caused by the unnecessary development model and corporate exploitation in the hilly areas.
