Thousands of farmers from across the state will hold a protest march to the Lok Bhawan in Chandigarh on May 15, pressing for their long-pending demands. The protest will be held under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha.
The announcement was made in the monthly meeting of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) by president Harinder Singh Lakhowal.
He said the rally will be held at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nature Park, opposite YPS School, Mohali, from where farmers would walk towards the Lok Bhawan, Chandigarh.
“All governments till now have ignored Punjab’s rights and progress. The state has always faced injustice, which continues even today,” Lakhowal said.
Parminder Singh Palmajra and Parshotam Singh Gill highlighted the urgent need for strengthening cooperative banks to ensure timely crop loans for farmers. They emphasised that government subsidies and debt relief programmes must reach cultivators without delay, as many were struggling under the burden of loans.
They also demanded eight hours of uninterrupted power supply to farmers so that they could prepare a nursery of paddy. They said cooperative institutions play a vital role in rural credit, yet farmers often face hurdles in accessing funds.
Lakhowal said the protest would be peaceful but determined. “Punjab’s farmers cannot wait any longer. The government must act to safeguard their interests,” he asserted.
Further, they demanded that Panjab University should be handed over fully to the state and Chandigarh should also be given to Punjab without any delay. Amendments should be made in Bhakra Beas Management Board rules and a notification should be issued in this regard. The issue of river waters should be resolved according to the riparian basin principle. Their demand also included measures to stop polluted water from industries and sewage entering rivers, canals and lakes.
