Phagwara, Nov 15 (PTI) Several farmers staged a protesttoday on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road to press their demandfor minimum state assured price (SAP) of cane and served afour-day ultimatum to the Punjab government for accepting it.
Addressing protesters assembled from across Punjab,Manjit Singh Rai, President Punjab Doaba Sangharsh Committee,said that cane-growers had shifted their protest programmefrom Chaheru bridge on the NH1 to Phagwara market respectingorders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
"However, if state government does not accept our demandstill November 19, then we will squat out dharna at Chaherubridge on NH 1 on November 20, violating prohibitory ordersenforced under Section 144 Cr Pc," Rai said.
"In that eventuality, we will be constrained toregretfully ignore even the high court orders," he remarked.
He hoped that the Punjab government will clinch the issueof cane price in its Cabinet meeting scheduled for November 17or 18.
Kapurthala Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tayyab,accompanied by Superintendent of police Sandeep Sharma, cameat the protest site to receive protesters' memorandumaddressed to the Punjab chief minister.
The DC also announced that he will bring to government'snotice farmers' demands.
"The Indo-Pakistan Sada-e-Sarhad international busesbound for Lahore and New Delhi passed as usual from the NH 1,"the SSP said.
Meanwhile, heavy police force was deployed at allstrategic points on the NH 1 as a precautionary measure.
Satnam Singh Sahni, organiser of the rally, said thattheir other demands included cash payment of cane and stoppinglevying of taxes on farmers by the central government.
Farmers' leaders Kulwant Singh Sandhu and Baldev SinghSarsa also addressed the rally.
Some speakers also demanded the implementation of theSwaminathan report.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, while adjudicating ona Public interest litigation by Arrive Safe, had yesterdaydirected the administration to strictly implement prohibitoryorders under Section 144 of the Cr Pc to ensure smooth flow oftraffic on the NH 1 in view of farmers' protest. PTI COR VSDKJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.