Punjab / Punjab govt cancels all cases against farmers booked for stubble burning

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday ordered the state police to cancel all FIRs against farmers who have been protesting against the Centre's three controversial farm legislation. This comes as the Punjab chief minister chaired a high-level meeting with the representatives of 32 farm unions of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) led by President BKU Balbir Singh Rajewal at Punjab Bhawan, earlier in the day.

Calling the meeting "successful," Channi informed that "18 points were discussed," and both parties have reached a consensus. "Their demand for a debt waiver will be discussed," he also said.

The Punjab government has also asked for a list of people who died during the agitation to award compensation and job for the next of their kin. Farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting against the three legislation that sailed through the Parliament and were enacted in September last year. The agitation is set to complete a year this month as the impasse between the protesting farmers and the government remains.

Though the laws have been stayed by the Supreme Court, the farmers are still protesting, demanding the government to repeal them.

The decision comes as the state is set to hold an assembly election next year and the Congress is seeking re-election while battling major infighting.

The Punjab chief minister also reportedly cancelled all FIRs filed against farmers for burning stubble or agricultural waste, while appealing against it. "Channi appealed to farmers to refrain from stubble burning in future as it was hazardous both for the environment as well as human health besides hampering the fertility of the land to an enormous degree," according to the official statement issued by the state chief minister's office.

Meanwhile, Channi also announced to enhance the compensation amount from ₹12,000 to ₹17,000 per acre besides 10% of the relief to the farm labourers involved in the picking of cotton, the Punjab government also informed in the statement.

The decision has been taken in a major reprieve to the cotton growers and farm labourers who suffered huge losses due to the pink bollworm pest attack on cotton crops.

The enhanced compensation amount would involve nearly ₹200 crore in addition to the already approved ₹416.18 crore on account of compensation of ₹12,000 per acre.

Agreeing to another demand of SKM to fill vacancies in the agriculture department, senior Congress leader apprised that 141 posts of Agriculture development officers have already been appointed and an equal number of posts would be filled soon to provide efficient extension services to the farmers which would go a long way in supplementing their income, it added.