Faridkot (Punjab): President of Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ekta Sidhupur group, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who was staging a sit-in in support of farmers' long pending demands, ended his fast on Thursday, after a settlement was reached between government and protesting farmers. A meeting was held between Punjab agriculture minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal and the farmers' delegation on Thursday, wherein their demands were accepted. Besides, Dhaliwal also apologized to the farmers over the Chief Minister's statement.
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To break the fast, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal was offered juice by Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. Later, Dallewal said, "Our struggle is not over. If the government fails to implement the agreed demands, then we will resort to agitation again in Chandigarh."
Dallewal further said that protesting farmers staging dharnas at six places in Punjab will also call off their strike. On the other hand, minister Dhaliwal said, "We arrived at a consensus after having a long session with farmers on Thursday. We are happy that we reached a consensus."
The farmers' list of demands included removal of red entries marked on land records of those farmers involved in stubble burning, providing bonuses to farmers for selling 7,277 quintals of groundnut at the fixed rate, giving incentives to farmers for low yield of wheat crops and release of balance amount withheld by sugar mill owners.
The farmers have also demanded compensation for wheat crop loss due to Chinese virus, financial assistance for the loss of soft wood due to white worm and artificial seeds, giving compensation to those farmers who suffered livestock loss due to lumpy virus and also handing over compensation to the kin of martyred farmers.
