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

Farmers, workplace labourers and husbandman leaders, who held a monolithic ‘Mahapanchayat’ astatine Dhan Mandi successful Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh connected Wednesday, gave a 20-day ultimatum to the State authorities to halt the operation of an ethanol mill astatine Rathikhera village. The expansive assembly was supported by the section Congress and CPI(M) leaders.

Farmer rights activistic and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) person Rakesh Tikait and workplace national leaders Gurnam Singh Charuni and Joginder Singh Ugrahan addressed the gathering and expressed their enactment to the farmers’ demands. The flags, posters and banners of BKU and Samyukt Kisan Morcha were disposable astatine the venue.

Strict information measures were taken astatine Dhan Mandi, wherever aggregate layers of barricades were erected and a ample fig of constabulary unit were deployed. Prohibitory orders were imposed successful the municipality and the mobile net services were suspended.

Former CPI(M) MLA Balwan Poonia, who heads the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, said the agitation would beryllium called disconnected lone erstwhile the State authorities cancels the memorandum of knowing for installation of the ethanol plant. Farmers successful the portion fearfulness that the mill would make a livelihood situation by making the cultivation onshore barren done groundwater contamination and aerial pollution.

A 13-member delegation of protesters held talks with the territory medication successful the Collectorate and enactment distant the demands for cancellation of MoU, withdrawal of cases filed against farmers for unit and demolition connected the mill premises connected December 10, and enactment against the officials liable for the clashes, successful which respective persons were injured.

Hanumangarh Collector Khushaal Yadav assured the husbandman leaders that a missive would beryllium sent to the State authorities with the proposal to judge the demands. Mr. Poonia said the peaceful agitation of farmers would proceed till January 7, erstwhile the adjacent ‘Mahapanchayat’ would beryllium held successful Sangaria.

Mr. Tikait said the groundwater, agriculture and nationalist wellness successful the portion were being harmed successful the sanction of the ethanol factory.

A Chandigarh-registered institution is mounting up the 40 MW grain-based ethanol plant astatine a outgo of ₹450 crore astatine Rathikhera village, portion the farmers person been opposing the factory’s operation for much than a year. The protestation intensified successful July erstwhile the institution began constructing a bound wall, starring to clashes and unit connected December 10.

Meanwhile, the State authorities has appointed a committee, headed by the Bikaner Divisional Commissioner, to analyse concerns related to biology contamination and h2o toxicity apt to beryllium caused by the plant. The committee volition taxable its study to the Additional Chief Secretary (Environment and Climate Change).