Will intensify stir during Modi visit: Karnal cane growers

KARNAL : Accusing chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar of not fulfilling the promise to renovate the Karnal Cooperative Sugarmill, hundreds of sugarcane growers on Tuesday threatened to intensify their agitation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kurukshetra on February 12.

The farmers continued their indefinite strike outside the cooperative mill for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday.

Protesting under the banner of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), the farmers alleged that the chief minister had failed to keep his promise and they were facing problems as mill was outdated. They said the indefinite strike would continue till the government started the renovation work. Addressing the farmers, BKU president Ratan Mann said the BJP government in the state had failed to protect the interests of the farmers.

“The chief minister had laid the foundation stone of a new sugarmill in Karnal in January last year but failed to keep his words to start it,” he added.

He said the farmers would intensify their protest by blocking the Karnal-meerut road during the Modi’s visit.

Meanwhile, managing director of the Karnal Cooperative Sugarmill Nirmal Nagar assured the protesting farmers that the renovation work would start soon and they would be informed about it in the next twothree days.

The farmers, however, said they would continue their protest till the government started the renovation work.