Bharatpur farmers to meet over Yamuna water, other demands on March 10

Cutting across caste and communal lines, farmers will gather for a mahapanchayat at Sikri in Bharatpur on March 10 to demand Yamuna water from Haryana through Gurgaon canal, announced Jagtar Singh, the convener of Sikri Sangharsh Samiti at a press conference in Bharatpur on Thursday.

Singh warned of an agitation to demand roads, water and electricity in the Nagar assembly constituency. He said the constituency has been in the state of neglect for a long time. “No government, whether it is Congress or BJP, has bothered to provide water and basic facilities in the area,” he added.

“We have decided to pass a resolution on March 10 to fight for water and other demands. Farmers from Hindu, Muslim, along with all other communities, will take part in the agitation,” Singh said. He claimed that more than 20,000 farmers will assemble at the mahapanchayat.

Representatives of various caste and communal groups such as Lalit Mohan Parashar from Brahamin Sabha, Irfan Khan from Mev community and Udaybhan from Saini community, accompanied Singh at the press meet.

Irfan Khan said people in area have been facing incidents of cattle theft and loot. He protested government’s plan to phase out more than 10-year-old tractors in the state. “Farmers are not capable to buy new tractors due to poor financial condition,” he said.