PHAGWARA: Phagwara, November 16 — Leaders and members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) on Sunday announced a series of protest actions across Punjab on November 18 to press the State Government for immediate clearance of pending sugarcane dues and compensation for the losses incurred during agitation at Shambhu and Khanouri borders.
The decision was taken at a meeting held at Gurdwara Sukhchaina Sahib, Sukhchain Nagar, Phagwara, under the leadership of BKU (Doaba) State President Manjit Singh Rai. The protest will be held for three hours outside the offices of Deputy Commissioners in Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and the Additional Deputy Commissioner Office in Phagwara, followed by the submission of memorandums highlighting farmers’ demands.
The union warned that if the government does not provide a concrete solution, including the release of arrears and compensation, farmers would intensify their agitation by blocking traffic on National Highway (GT Road) at Jalandhar on November 21.
During the meeting, the leaders strongly criticized the AAP-led Punjab Government for failing to resolve the long-pending issue of sugarcane payments. They claimed that dues amounting to ₹27–28 crore remain unpaid by Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill Ltd., Phagwara, while the ₹61.50 per quintal subsidy, announced in the name of farmers, has still not reached them. They demanded that the subsidy be transferred directly to cultivators under a “One Booth, One Payment” system instead of being routed through mill owners. They also called upon the government to immediately declare the sugarcane price for the current crushing season and set it at ₹500 per quintal.
Union leaders further alleged that farmers suffered substantial financial losses when the state administration forcefully dismantled the sit-ins at the Shambhu and Khanouri borders. Although the government had collected detailed lists of damages, it has not initiated payment of compensation, they said. The leaders reiterated that farmers must be reimbursed promptly and fully for their losses.
The meeting was attended by several senior office-bearers including State General Secretary Satnam Singh Sahni, Senior Vice President Kirpal Singh Mussapur, State Press Secretary Gurpal Singh Pala and Nawanshahr District President Davinder Singh Sandhwa, along with other BKU (Doaba) representatives.