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Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Punjab, Bhakra board face off: CM Bhagwant Mann draws flak for questioning farmers' absence
BATHINDA: The farmer organisations and environmentalists, mainly those raising their voices against the contamination of Buddha Nullah, have expressed their anger over the outbursts of aimed at the farming community of Punjab. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The farmer organisations stated that the CM, through his outbursts, had shown his 'dislike' for the farmers and other activists who were fighting for the farming community and the water issues concerning the state. Mann, while addressing the protesters outside the office of the (MBMB) at Nangal on Sunday, said: 'Where are the farmer organisations now? They have not issued even a single statement for saving the water of Punjab, but we are not bothered, we will fight alone." Mann had made it clear that their (farmers) thinking was limited to holding sit-ins and disrupting the highways. 'They should have come here, but we have no need of them. They should come to us tomorrow; we are saving the water for their fields. They used to call themselves saviours of water, but where are the so-called saviours of water?' the CM asked. 'Sometimes they used to sit at Buddha Nullah and sometimes at other places. Now,they will also have to face opposition. It will not be me (Mann), but the public will oppose them. People will come to know who stands where in this fight for Punjab waters,' Mann had added. He also said the farmers did not visit the protest site here as there were no air-conditioned trolleys (trailers). 'Without AC, it is tough for them; this needs to be highlighted,' he added. Reacting to the CM's outbursts, Kirti Kisan Union leader Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala said: 'We held protests against the Dam Safety Act and against the BBMB in 2022, but the AAP govt did not take the Dam Safety Act seriously and now, Punjab is paying the price for it." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarvan Singh Pandher said: 'Farmers do not botherabout holding protests under the scorching sun in the summers or chilly winter nights for their rights, and using AC is not a sin as the CM too remains in the AC all the time. We regularly raise the water issue. The CM is misleading the public.' The Public Action Committee (PAC) Mattewara – a pro-environment organisation, in a sharp rebuttal to the CM's comments against Budda Dariya activists exposed his govt's 'hypocrisy and negligence'. The committee representatives stated: 'The CM has questioned our absence from the dharna site at Nangal. He also asked why we did not issue a statement on the issue. He (Mann) is lying. We have many times issued statements in support of the right of Punjab on its waters. Also, it is surprising as to why the CM expects activists and farmers to help him in his dharna when they are busy fixing problems created by him.' 'Our team is fighting multiple NGT cases against the Govt of Punjab, including those of illegal common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) and reverse boring by a distillery. The CM and his govt are not following even the NGT orders to shut the illegal CETPs. He has not ordered the permanent closure of a distillery despite its clear indictment by the Central Pollution Control Board for reverse boring polluted effluent into the groundwater. We don't have time for photo ops. We are fixing the mess this govt has created,' said committee members Amandeep Bains, Col J S Gill(retd), Kuldeep Singh Khaira, Kapil Dev, and Jaskirat Singh. The committee also took note of a post on social media by Mann on Saturday that the Rajasthan govt demanded water from Punjab's quota for the drinking needs of personnel from the defence forces who were on duty for national security. 'Whenever it is for national interest, Punjab never lags behind,' they said. The committee said the water through the Indira Gandhi canal goes via Satluj, mixed with effluents of Buddha Dariya. So, Punjab has provided heavily polluted water to our armed forces for their drinking water needs, which contains chemicals from dyeing and electroplating industries of Ludhiana, they added.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Water injustice': KKU farmer activists ask Punjab assembly to annul Dam Safety Act in special session.
Pics: Kirti Kisan Union activists handing over a memorandum to some of the Punjab MLAs on Sunday Bathinda: A major Punjab-based farmer organisation has demanded the repealing of the Dam Safety Act on the grounds that it threatens state's autonomy and violates riparian rights amid ongoing water disputes with neighbouring states. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a coordinated statewide campaign on Sunday, the Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) delivered memorandums to 50 Punjab legislators, urging them to pass a resolution annulling the Act during Monday's special session of the state assembly. The protest follows the Bhakra Beas Management Board's recent decision to allocate an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana — a move the KKU condemned as unjust and unconstitutional. "This is sheer injustice to Punjab and a violation of the riparian principle," said KKU president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, sitting alongside general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala and secretary Raminder Patiala. He said: "It also undermines India's federal structure." The union argued that Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi should instead pursue the construction of the proposed Sharda-Yamuna Link to meet their water needs, while suggesting that Ravi river waters flowing into Pakistan could be better utilised. They also called on the Centre to grant Punjab a special financial package to compensate for what they described as long-standing water-related inequities. The KKU accused successive central govts of sidelining Punjab's rights over its natural resources and accused the Dam Safety Act of further centralising power. "Punjab has faced discrimination for decades — first through the neglect of riparian laws, and now through this attempt at centralisation," the KKU said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Taking aim at Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, the union urged him to raise the issue forcefully in Delhi rather than making symbolic gestures. They said the upcoming assembly session would be a test of political sincerity. "Monday will reveal whether political parties are serious about Punjab's rights or merely staging a performance," the union stated. MSID:: 120873814 413 |
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘AAP equally responsible, creating tension between Punjab and Haryana': farmers slam decision to release more water
Farmers' unions across Punjab have condemned the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) decision to release additional water to Haryana, calling it coercive and politically motivated. Terming it an act of injustice against Punjab, they accused both the BJP-led Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of collusion in trying to divide people and deprive the state's farmers of their rightful share. The BBMB on Wednesday ordered the release of an additional 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana. Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta-Dakaunda (Dhaner faction) state president Manjeet Singh Dhaner said, 'The Centre and AAP are working hand-in-glove. This is not just water theft; it is a conspiracy to pit Punjabis and Haryanvis against each other.' He called the situation intolerable and accused both governments of betraying Punjab's interests. His union is a constituent of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). Dhaner's remarks found support among other major farmer groups. Leaders from the Kirti Kisan Union, another constituent of SKM, said BBMB's decision ignores the urgent water needs of Punjab's farmers, who are preparing for the upcoming sowing season. 'Even on humanitarian grounds, Punjab is already releasing 4,000 cusecs of water to Haryana. Demanding more, and BBMB agreeing to it, is nothing short of ignoring Punjab's rights and necessities,' said Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) president Nirbhay Singh Dhudike. KKU general secretary Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala called the decision an 'assault' on Punjab's genuine needs. 'This cannot be justified by logic or fairness. It reflects the Centre's step-motherly treatment towards Punjab,' he added. The union alleged that Haryana has already consumed its legitimate share, and any further release is unjustified and dangerous for Punjab's agriculture.' The Kirti Kisan Union reiterated its long-standing demand for a permanent solution to the regional water crisis. It suggested that the Sharada-Yamuna Link Canal be built to redirect excess water from the Sharada River—a tributary of the Ganga—towards Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and western Uttar Pradesh, reducing dependency on Punjab's resources. Raminder Singh Patiala, press secretary of the KKU, said the Centre should utilise the otherwise wasted waters of the Ravi and Sharada rivers. 'A fair financial package for Punjab is also essential to promote crop diversification and ensure every household and field gets clean canal water,' he added. Meanwhile, Gurdeep Singh Rampura, BKU Ekta-Dakaunda vice-president (Dhaner faction), claimed, 'Union leaders received phone calls from intelligence agencies asking them to issue public statements on the matter. This shows that the Punjab government is now trying to use farmers as a shield,' he said. He also criticised the government for accepting the Dam Safety Act and passing the Water Regulation Act despite opposition. Rampura pointed out that people from villages like Akhara, Bhundri, Mushkabad, and Bagge Kalan have been facing police action for protesting against polluting factories. 'If the government truly cared about water, it should cancel the Dam Safety and Water Regulation Acts, stop polluting factories, and apologise to those who were suppressed for raising their voice,' he said. Harnek Singh Mahima, the state general secretary of BKU Ekta-Dakaunda, noted that while the Punjab government restricts protesters from entering Chandigarh and uses force against them, it now seeks support from the same farmer unions. 'Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who boasts of 94 MLAs, should lead a dharna in Delhi over this issue himself,' he said. Vice presidents of this union, Amandeep Singh Lalto and Harish Nadda, emphasised that the situation would not have arisen if the Dam Safety Act had been repealed earlier. They called for the resolution of water issues based on international norms and the Indian Constitution and vowed to resist exploitation without becoming tools of the government. The unions warned that depleting groundwater in northwestern India makes canal water essential, and any forced diversion from Punjab would have serious ecological and economic consequences. They urged the Centre to abandon divisive policies and hold talks on constructing the Sharada-Yamuna Link Canal. 'The public must remain united and resist this injustice. When governments have no answers, they try to divide people. We will not let that happen,' a union leader said.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Farmers' group collects wheat to help those affected by rain & fire in Faridkot
Bathinda: In the wake of losses suffered by small and marginal farmers because of unseasonal rain and incidents of fire, Kirti Kisan Union has decided to lend a helping hand to those affected. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The farmers' organisation has started collecting wheat from the well-off farmers for distribution among the affected families in Faridkot. They began the collection from Sivian village Thursday with a tractor trailer full of the crop. General secretary of the Union, Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala, said, "The farmers were hoping to make some good gains this wheat procurement season, but ended up suffering losses. So, the Kirti Kisan Union has decided to stand by them and has started collecting wheat to be distributed among them." The representatives of the Union said they may not be able to fully compensate the farmers, but will try to do whatever they can to help them. They have called upon the influential farmers to support the initiative. The Union has also demanded that the state govt give a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre, besides providing village panchayats with fire tenders and ensuring that water bodies do not dry up in case of an incident of fire. Members of the Union staged a protest in front of the Faridkot deputy commissioner's office demanding adequate compensation for the losses suffered by the farmers. In the past too, organisations such as the BKU Ekta Ugrahan and BKU Ekta Dakaunda, have collected wheat for farmers who suffered losses due to various reasons.
