Farmers call off agitation in Faridkot; committee formed to look into stubble burning cases

Farmers on Monday evening decided to call off their agitation in Faridkot district after representatives of the Punjab government assured them of forming a three-member committee to look into the cases registered against them for stubble burning.

The stalemate ended after a meeting between farmers' organisation leaders and state government representative Sandeep Sandhu, Political Adviser to the Punjab chief minister.

Sandhu said a three-member committee chaired by a retired judge would be set up to look into the FIRs registered against farmers for stubble burning in the state after consultation with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Protesting farmers were demanding cases filed against them for burning paddy straw be withdrawn, fine imposed for it on them by the state government be cancelled and red entries in the revenue records be removed.

A report in this regard would be submitted within 35 days, Sandhu further said after a marathon meeting with the farmers' organisation leaders.

Besides, the family of Jagseer Singh, who had committed suicide, was assured of "suitably adjusting" his son in the "government setup".

The farm debt of the family would be waived as per the state government policy, an official said, adding that farmers had announced to call off their agitation.

Earlier during the day, farmers agitating for withdrawal of stubble-burning cases filed against them in Punjab's Faridkot district sat with the body of a paddy grower who killed himself two days ago during the protest, and demanded his family be given a compensation of Rs 1 crore.

Jagseer Singh, 50, committed suicide on Saturday by consuming poison during the protest led by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta) and BKU (Sidhupur) factions at Tehsil complex.

On Sunday night, they had brought Singh's body from the mortuary of the government hospital in Jaitu to the site of their protest.