Farmers to stage protest in Punjab CM's home district 

Chandigarh, Aug 22 (IANS) Farmer unions under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha that comprises outfits from Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday announced to stage a sit-in protest till September 2 in the home district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over their demands. 

Elsewhere, farmers staged sit-in protests on toll plazas on national highways in Punjab to press the state government to accept their demands, including compensation from the government for the damage to the crop caused due to floods, farm debt waiver, remunerative prices for their crops. 

They are demanding a special package of Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre for flood-affected farmers. 

They are also demanding Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for crop loss, Rs 5 lakh for a damaged house and Rs 10 lakh compensation for a family of a person who died in the floods. 

During their protest, the farmers did not allow the fee to be deducted for vehicles passing through the toll plazas. 

Meanwhile, justifying the government's sensitivity to farmer issues, Punjab Revenue, Rehabilitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa said the government has released more than Rs 186 crore to compensate for the crop loss due to floods. 

As preventive measures, Punjab Police have taken over hundreds of farmer leaders from Punjab and Haryana into preventive custody. 

A 70-year-old farmer was killed during a protest at Longowal town in Sangrur on Monday. 

Five policemen were also injured during the clash with the farmers. 

The Shiromani Akali Dal has demanded that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann be booked on murder charges. 

The police were blamed for the killing the farmer in a clash with the police. 

The protesting farmers have been demanding compensation and a government job for the next kin of the dead farmer. 

They announced to continue their protest in Longowal till September 2, the day the next course of action would be announced. 

In Haryana, over 100 farmers from different farm unions were detained in Ambala district. 

Farmers blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh national highway near Ambala city when they were not allowed to march towards Chandigarh. 

Heavy police force was deployed on the periphery of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, to prevent the entry of crowds of protesting farmers to reach the city to seek compensation for losses caused by the floods. 

Jimpa said Chief Minister Singh Mann has released more than Rs 186 crore to compensate the crop loss due to floods. 

He said advance funds have been released to the Deputy Commissioners of 16 districts from the Natural Disaster Relief Fund to provide relief for the crop damage. 

Jimpa said in July and August the crops of farmers were damaged due to floods in many areas and a special 'girdwari' has been conducted in all flood affected areas of the state. 

He said the Chief Minister fulfilled his promise to the flood victims on August 15 and initiated the process to handover cheques of compensation. 

He said the government is committed to provide compensation to the flood victims and has no dearth of funds for this purpose.