Chandigarh, February 9
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab’s state president and chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann, fulfilling his responsibility as an MP in Parliament, raised various issues pertaining Punjab’s farmers in Lok Sabha. Mann, on Wednesday, left behind his campaigning for Punjab assembly election to raise the issue of sugarcane farmers in the Parliament.
Mann said that about Rs. 1.25 crore of sugarcane farmers for 2020-21 and about Rs. 20 crore for 2021-22 have not been paid, due to which farmers are very upset. Since, it takes one year for the sugarcane crop to grow fully, so the family of sugarcane farmers is supported by this money throughout the year. They have to face a lot of problems because of delayed payments and bonuses.
Mann appealed to the Parliament to pay the dues of sugarcane farmers along with interest and said that according to the Sugarcane Act 1996, the payment has to be paid within 14 days of the arrival of sugarcane at the mill. If it is not, then it is to be paid with interest. Therefore the government should follow the law and pay the prices of crops to sugarcane farmers with interest. Apart from sugarcane farmers, Mann also raised the issue of cotton (Narma) farmers whose crops were destroyed by pink bollworm but, they have not been compensated till date.
Bhagwant Mann again appealed to the Parliament to acknowledge martyred farmers during anti-farm laws agitation and said that 743 farmers lost their lives during the one-year-long farmers’ agitation on the Delhi border. Prime Minister Modi announced to withdraw the three farm laws but did not have a word to offer on the death of farmers. My appeal to the Parliament is that the families of all the farmers who were martyred in the agitation should be given proper compensation and the cases registered against the protesting farmers during the agitation should be withdrawn immediately so that their families can lead a peaceful life.
