Haryana: Farmers continue Jal Satyagraha in Ambala

AMBALA: The sugarcane farmers continued their Jal Satyagraha on the second day on Friday sitting in the Begna river while demanding the pending cane payments.
On Friday, some women from the region also visited the protest spot to lend support to the farmers.
The farmers have decided to sit on the protest till the time their payments are released by Naraingarh Sugar Mill.
The farmers of Ambala region are waiting for their pending dues for the 2018-19 crushing season – worth around Rs 101 crore.
As per sources, out of the pending Rs 101 crore, the cash dues are of around Rs 79.50 crore, while the mill had distributed the cheques worth around Rs 21.5 crore to those farmers which were ready to accept the same. The cheques are dated for the next season of the year 2020.
“The mill had given the cheques to those farmers which had accepted the same and those payments will be made next year after the sugar produced in the present season is sold and when those farmers will be bringing sugarcane for the season of the year 2020. The majority of the farmers did not accept the offer of cheque from the mill and they want the cash payments. Around 5,000 farmers are waiting for total payments worth around Rs 101 crore,” said Bharatiya Kisan Union (Haryana) president Gurnam Singh Charuni.
When questioned about the protest, Charuni said, “We have staged the protest for the time until the payments are not released and the farmers are sitting on the bank of the Begna River. It is the saddest state of our nation that the farmers have to struggle for the payments of their own produce while the industrialists are not even touched by the government.”
When contacted none of the concerned officials answered the calls.