189 Punjab families who lost kin in farmer stir given ₹5-L relief
FARMER UNION LEADERS SAY A FRESH AGITATION WILL BE LAUNCHED DEMANDING DEBT WAIVER FOR THE PUNJAB PEASANTS
The Punjab government has given ₹5 lakh compensation from the CM’S Relief Fund each to the families of 189 farmers who had died at protest sites during the ongoing agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws. According to BKU (Ektaugrahan), over 400 farmers from across the state had died during the protests.
In Sangrur, the district authorities received 44 applications and 25 families were given ₹5 lakh each, while eight cases are pending. Eleven applications are in process, said an official.
“We received 44 applications and all the cases are being cleared on priority. The applications are cleared after reports from tehsildar, police and agriculture departments come,” said Sangrur deputy commissioner Ramvir.
Nazam Singh, a resident of Bhullar Heri whose father Lahb Singh died at Sangrur railway station, said he received a cheque of ₹3 lakh from Dhuri sub-divisional magistrate and the rest amount is pending.
In Majha region comprising Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts, family members of 11 farmers who died protesting against the farm laws, have received the compensation, while seven cases are pending.
In Amritsar, seven families had applied for the compensation. “Out of seven, three have been disposed of, while others are in process,” said assistant commissioner (general) Anamjot Kaur. There were six applications in Gudaspur district and all have been cleared. “There were only six such cases in our district and all have been given the compensation,” said Gurdaspur deputy commissioner Mohammad Ishfaq.
Tarn Taran district revenue officer Arvinder Pal Singh said, “Out of five applications received so far, two have been disposed of. One application is pending at the state government level while two are pending at SDM’S level.” Pathankot district revenue officer (DRO) Arvind Parkash Verma said they didn’t receive any application for the compensation.
However, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC)’S organisational secretary Sukhwinder Singh Sabran said, “In Tarn Taran district alone, nine farmers had died during the agitation.
The administration should compensate all of the farmers as promised by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The government had also announced job for the next of victims’ kin. We will continue our struggle for the compensation and government job.” Farmer union leaders say a separate agitation will be launched demanding debt waiver for the farmers.
The Bathinda administration provided the relief to 29 families whose family members had died at protest site on the Delhi borders. Secretary of district Red Cross society Sudarshan Kumar said two women had passed away at Tikri and Singhu borders.
“Compensation is granted on the basis of information forwarded by the district administration. I do not have information if any claim was rejected by the authorities,” said Kumar.
District president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ughrahan) Shingara Singh Mann said all claims forwarded by the union were settled. “But we are not satisfied with the amount of compensation. The BKU will soon launch an agitation, demanding a financial aid of ₹10 lakh,” he added.