THE NEWS FREEDOM
Chandigarh, FEBRUARY 24
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher asserted on Saturday that participants of the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march remain resolute in their protest until their demands are addressed. Hinting at the possibility of prolonging the agitation beyond the onset of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls, Pandher emphasized their unwavering stance. Talking to reporters at the Shambhu border, Pandher said that farmer unions will announce their next course of action on February 29.
Thousands of farmers have maintained their presence at Khanauri and Shambhu borders, situated along Punjab’s boundary with Haryana, persistently calling for a legal assurance of minimum support price (MSP) for crops and other grievances. Accompanied by their tractor-trolleys and trucks, they continue to camp at the protest sites.
In a new development concerning the farmers’ protest, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh said on Saturday that a farmer from the state, injured during a protest and undergoing treatment at PGI Rohtak, will now be transferred to PGIMER Chandigarh. This move comes shortly after the Punjab Government’s formal request to Haryana for the farmer’s handover. Earlier, Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma wrote a letter to Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal on Saturday, demanding the transfer of a Punjab farmer currently receiving medical care in Rohtak. Verma highlighted the case of Pritpal Singh, a protester injured during the ‘Dilli Chalo’ march and currently undergoing treatment at PGI Rohtak and asked Kaushal to facilitate Singh’s handover to Punjab authorities for free medical treatment under the Punjab Government’s provisions.