Punjab announces Rs 1 crore compensation, job for sister of farmer killed during stir

Chandigarh, Feb 23 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job for the sister of farmer Shubhkaran Singh who died at the Khanauri border point.

Singh (21), a native of Bathinda, was killed and 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday. The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards barricades.

"The family of Shubhkaran Singh, who got martyred during the farmer's movement on the Khanauri border, will be given financial assistance of Rs 1 crore by the Punjab government and a government job to his younger sister. Due legal action will be taken against culprits," Mann said in a post in Punjabi.

Farmer leaders were demanding financial compensation for the kin of Singh and a government job for a member of his family, besides registration of a case against those who were responsible for his death.

They had also demanded "martyr" status for Singh, who hailed from Ballo village in Bathinda.

The post-mortem of Singh, whose body was kept in a mortuary of Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, was delayed as the farmers pressed for acceptance of their demands.

The chief minister on Wednesday said he was saddened by the death of the young farmer and asserted that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for it.

"After the post-mortem, a case will be registered. Those officials responsible for his death will have to face stringent action," Mann had said.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP for crops and a farm loan waiver.

Farmer leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri and had also said that they would decide their next course of action on Friday evening.

Thousands of farmers remain camped at Khanauri and Shambhu with their tractor-trolleys and trucks agitating for their demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops and farm debt waiver.

The Punjab farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21. PTI CHS VSD RHL