Cane growers protest in Doaba

A large number of cane growers of Doaba region on Wednesday took out a protest rally in support of their demands, including payment of arrears. Raising slogans against Punjab government, the protesters first staged a sit-in inside the main grain market on Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road and then took out a protest march till Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s Courts complex in Phagwara. 

The farmers who took part in the protest rally belong to Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts. Farmers' representative Manjit Singh Rai said that their payments outstanding towards sugar mills be cleared. They also demanded that cane crushing season should commence timely. 

SDM Keshav Hingonia assured the protesting farmers that their memorandum would be forwarded to the state government for early action. Farmers expressed concern that private sugar mills in the state had given advertisements in newspapers, threatening not to crush cane in the coming season. It has sent shockwaves among cane-growers, Rai said. 

Farmers warned that they would intensify their stir if their entire crop was not lifted and cane crushing was not commenced. “In case our demands are not accepted, cane-growers will resort to ‘Road and Rail Roko’ on August 20 at Mukerian, Barnala and Jalandhar,” Rai said.