Farmers give 20-day ultimatum for closure of ethanol plant in Hanumangarh

Farmers, farm labourers and farmer leaders, who held a large ‘Mahapanchayat’ at Dhan Mandi in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh on Wednesday, gave a 20-day ultimatum to the State authorities to cease the development of an ethanol manufacturing facility at Rathikhera village. The grand meeting was supported by the native Congress and CPI(M) leaders.

Farmer rights activist and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) chief Rakesh Tikait and farm union leaders Gurnam Singh Charuni and Joginder Singh Ugrahan addressed the gathering and expressed their help to the farmers’ calls for. The flags, posters and banners of BKU and Samyukt Kisan Morcha have been seen on the venue.

Strict safety measures have been taken at Dhan Mandi, the place a number of layers of barricades have been erected and numerous police personnel have been deployed. Prohibitory orders have been imposed within the city and the cellular web providers have been suspended.

Former CPI(M) MLA Balwan Poonia, who heads the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, mentioned the agitation can be referred to as off solely when the State authorities cancels the memorandum of understanding for set up of the ethanol plant. Farmers within the area worry that the manufacturing facility would create a livelihood disaster by making the agricultural land barren by way of groundwater contamination and air air pollution.

A 13-member delegation of protesters held talks with the district administration within the Collectorate and put forth the calls for for cancellation of MoU, withdrawal of circumstances filed in opposition to farmers for violence and destruction on the manufacturing facility premises on December 10, and motion in opposition to the officers liable for the clashes, by which a number of individuals have been injured.

Hanumangarh Collector Khushaal Yadav assured the farmer leaders {that a} letter can be despatched to the State authorities with the advice to just accept the calls for. Mr. Poonia mentioned the peaceable agitation of farmers would proceed until January 7, when the following ‘Mahapanchayat’ can be held in Sangaria.

Mr. Tikait mentioned the groundwater, agriculture and public well being within the area have been being harmed within the identify of the ethanol manufacturing facility.

A Chandigarh-registered firm is establishing the 40 MW grain-based ethanol plant at a value of ₹450 crore at Rathikhera village, whereas the farmers have been opposing the manufacturing facility’s development for greater than a yr. The protest intensified in July when the corporate started developing a boundary wall, resulting in clashes and violence on December 10.

In the meantime, the State authorities has appointed a committee, headed by the Bikaner Divisional Commissioner, to look at issues associated to environmental air pollution and water toxicity prone to be brought on by the plant. The committee will submit its report back to the Extra Chief Secretary (Setting and Local weather Change).