Haryana farmers protest against ‘inept’ handling of flood situation

A large number of farmers and workers, including women, from the flood-affected villages in Haryana held a demonstration in Hisar and Fatehabad districts on Monday, alleging “insensitive and inept handling” of the flood situation by the State government.

On a call given by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), Centre of Indian Trade Union and All India Agriculture Workers’ Union, they demanded immediate steps to remove water from the fields,increased compensation for damaged crops and houses, financial assistance to landless labourers, MGNREGS works, ration for displaced families and other relief measures.

Led by AIKS national vice-president Inderjit Singh and others, the protesters in Hisar reached the mini-secretariat, where the main entrance was closed by the police. They finally sat there blocking the entrance.

Later, they handed over a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. The protesters claimed that the DC’s response was “casual” and “unsatisfactory”, and warned a pucca  morcha (permanent sit-in) if action was not taken within two weeks.

In Fatehabad, the aggrieved farmers from more than a dozen villages, including Bhimwala, Baban, Gorakhpur, Bhuthan, Kumhariya, and Baropal, gathered outside the mini-secretariat. They said the situation was very bad as the current crop was destroyed and the prospects of the next crop too appeared bleak. The protesters said a large number of houses were damaged, and there had been deaths as well.

In a memorandum, the protesters demanded action against the corrupt officials for installing poor quality pump sets to drain out water from the farms. Besides seeking clean drinking water and medicines to prevent spread of diseases, the farmers also sought ₹50,000 per acre compensation for the damaged crops, saying that the ₹15,000 per acre announced by the government was too little.

They also demanded special girdawari (crop survey) in the presence of gram panchayat and that a certified copy be handed over to the farmer on the spot after the assessment of the extent of crop damage.