No jobs, kin of dead farmers protest outside min’s house

Bathinda: Awaiting the promised jobs, the bereaved family members of the farmers who lost their kin in the year-long protest against the now repealed farm laws, have started a protest near the residence of Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian at Khuddian village in Muktsar district.The protesting family members said they would continue their agitation till their demands were not met.Nearly 750 farmers had died during the farm agitation at Delhi borders and at various other places in Punjab. Punjab government had announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each and a government job to the next of kin of the deceased.While government provided compensation to over 700 families and jobs to the kin of 326 deceased farmers, over 400 families are still waiting for the jobs. Also, then Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, accompanied by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann, had given cheques of Rs 3 lakh each to many bereaved families at an event in Chandigarh on May 22, 2022. He had also announced to give compensation to all the bereaved families, but over 150 families are still awaiting the relief. Harpreet Singh of Samrala said members of nearly 100 bereaved families had reached outside Khuddian residence on Tuesday evening and started a protest. We met Khuddian, who assured us of fulfilling the demand by March 31, but we want a decision to be made now or government should give us in writing. We also want Punjab government to take up matter regarding pending compensation with Telangana government, said Samrala. We have met various authorities in Chandigarh but got nothing more than assurances. And now, have decided to sit on an indefinite protest outside the residence of minister, he added. Farmer Lakhbir Singh said: “We are fed up with the assurances and now, will not end the protest till our demands are met.”Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian said a three-member committee was looking into the matter and action would be taken as per the report of the committee.