Farmers rally at Barnala on Jan 9

Various organisations of farmers will hold a rally at Barnala in Punjab on January 9 seeking appropriate compensation to the next of kin of peasants who had committed suicide for different reasons, including debt.
A decision to this effect was taken by a meeting of different organisations of farmers held here today under the leadership of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU-Ekta) General Secretary Sukhdev Singh.
After the meeting, the farmer leader told media that the Punjab government had failed to honour its commitment to provide compensation to the families of those farmers who had committed suicide for various reasons.
He said the Parkash Singh Badal government had already declared to provide Rs two lakh as compensation to the family of the farmer who had committed suicide for different reasons.

Besides, he demanded that the government must ensure a job to the next of kin of deceased farmer.
Singh said that as per a recent state government survey more than 7,000 farmers have committed suicide in the past five years due to debt.
He said that the proposed rally would also demand complete waiving of crop loans of farmers whether they are small or marginal.