Protesting sugarcane farmers allege misbehaviour by SDM

BIJNOR: A group of farmers and sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Bijnor were locked in stand-off on Tuesday as the sugarcane growers, who were seeking compensation for their crops, alleged that the officer “misbehaved” with them. However, the SDM, Anuj Singh, refuted the charges and said that a farmer shouted at him during their meeting over the matter.
The farmers, under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), held a protest outside the SDM office on Tuesday. Initially, they gathered at sugarcane development committee premises and held a meeting to highlight their “hardships”. Later, they went to Collectorate to hand over a memorandum addressed to chief minister. The memorandum was to be given to SDM Singh.
When farmers staged a ‘dharna’ outside the office, the SDM reached there to listen to their grievances. During the meeting, BKU leader Balram Singh raised the issue of sugarcane payment.
Singh alleged that officers are hand in gloves with sugar mill owners. “Mill officers are selling sugar without getting permission from administration and are not paying dues to farmers,” he said.
During the discussion, a war of words broke out between the farmers and the SDM, after which the officer left the spot.
District general secretary of BKU, Digamber Singh, alleged: “The SDM has misbehaved with the farmers and did not listen to our grievances. We had come to him to give the memorandum demanding that we be paid our dues. In addition to this, I was to hand over a memorandum over Kanpur land compensation issue where government did not pay compensation for land which was acquired for the construction of power plant. All farmers are supposed to move to Kanpur on March 1 for the agitation. But SDM, changed the tenor of the talks.” However, SDM Singh rejected the allegation.
“Some farmers reached outside my office and staged a dharna. I went to meet the farmers and listen to their problems. But meanwhile, a farmer started shouting at me. So I returned to my office. I did not misbehave with any farmer. Farmers were demanding sugarcane dues. I told them that I am doing everything in my capacity," he said.