BKU (Tikait) Launches Indefinite Shamli Sit-In Over Sugarcane Dues, Bills

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) has started an indefinite sit-in protest at the District Magistrate’s office in Shamli over various problems and demands raised by farmers. The protest is focused on issues including pending sugarcane payments from the Thanabhawan sugar mill, alleged irregularities in electricity bills and access to crop insurance.

Farmers participating in the protest raised their concerns and demanded that the concerned departments take steps to resolve them. BKU office-bearers said the agitation would continue until the problems faced by farmers were addressed.

BKU Shamli district president Ashish Chaudhary said farmers had been facing several problems for a long time. He said getting farmers their pending sugarcane payments from the Thanabhawan sugar mill was one of the main demands of the union.

According to the concerns raised by the farmers, delays in sugarcane payments were creating financial difficulties for them. The farmers were facing problems in meeting the cost of cultivation, household expenses and other essential needs, they said.

The BKU district president also questioned the working of the electricity department. He alleged that electricity bills issued to farmers were being increased without proper information or notice.

The farmers said the rise in electricity bills was placing an additional financial burden on them. They demanded that the bills be checked and that those increased incorrectly be corrected.

They also demanded an end to the system under which farmers are allegedly being troubled unnecessarily in connection with electricity bills. The union called for the electricity-related complaints to be examined and resolved.

Another demand raised during the protest was that farmers should get the benefit of crop insurance for losses caused by natural disasters and other reasons. The BKU said eligible farmers should be covered under the crop insurance scheme.

The union said crop insurance would provide financial support to eligible farmers if their crops were damaged. Farmers also said that resolving their problems was the responsibility of the administration and the concerned departments.

During the indefinite protest, the farmers demanded early action on matters related to sugarcane payments, electricity bills and crop insurance. They said these issues should be taken up without delay.

BKU office-bearers warned that the indefinite sit-in would continue until concrete action was taken on the farmers’ demands. The union made it clear that the protest would not end until the concerned problems were resolved.

A soundbite was also listed from BKU district president Ashish Chaudhary.