Well-oiled fund collection system, donations in kind keep protest afloat
The farmers’ organisations say that their main donors are none other their own activists, farmers, adding that they have developed systematic methods to collect these funds where they record collections in the books in a transparent manner. Updated: December 24, 2020 6:39:21 pm
These funds are collected twice a year when the new crop comes. (Express Photo: Harmeet Sodhi/Representational)
The ongoing farmers’ agitation has also brought into focus the farm outfits for their funding and resource management. While several have been picked upon for their source of funding, the farmer outfits insist that their funding system is well-oiled and has been in place for years – the reason why they have been able to manage this protest seamlessly.
Hoshiarpur holds job mela for people with disability, more than 100 placed
Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Apnit Riyait said that she along with DBEE officials, including career counsellor Aditya Rana and placement officer Mangesh Sood, had conceived this idea and then started contacting industry people. December 23, 2020 6:49:59 pm
Job Mela at Hoshiarpur. (Express Photo)
Shanil Kumar, 28, suffers from polio. He has been earning Rs 2,500 per month while working in a mobile shop for the last four years. Now he can hope to earn more, thanks to Divyang Mela under Project UDAAN of District Bureau of Employment and Enterprises (DBEE), Hoshiarpur.
He has got a Common Service Centre (CSC). This centre offers services like updation of Aadhaar card, booking railway tickets, applying for PAN cards, opening of bank account, mobile recharge and payment of electricity bills.
Farm leaders to call on British PM Boris Johnson to skip Republic Day event
The leaders also said they have deferred their meeting by a day to Wednesday, to decide on a response to the Government s letter asking them to fix a date for the next round of talks. Besides, they issued an appeal to “boycott all stores run by Ambani and Adani”. Updated: December 23, 2020 12:55:49 pm
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (File)
Farm leaders said Tuesday that they have asked British-Punjabi leaders to appeal to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to not come to India as the chief guest for next year’s Republic Day event till the Centre repeals its “black laws”.
About the enforcement of the MSP, it said, “Since intermediaries play a vital role in the functioning of the market, at times they have advance contracts with farmers. In respect of all essential commodities, we should protect farmer’s interests by mandating through statutory provisions that no farmer-trader transaction should be below MSP, wherever prescribed”.
It had argued that that market intervention for perishable products could also be introduced on a cost sharing basis between Centre and the state.
“When the working group on consumer affairs that had the Chief Ministers of various states as its members had recommended about MSP for farmers’ crop, then why government is running from it?” questioned farm union leader, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, General Secretary, Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) (Ugrahan).
Tax notices to nearly 14 big arhtiyas in Punjab, they say bid to intimidate
Commission agents that The Indian Express spoke to alleged that the raids were a tactic to intimidate them for supporting the farmers’ protest. December 19, 2020 6:38:24 am
Protesting farmers listen to a speaker at the Delhi- Haryana border. (AP)
Over a dozen arhtiyas (commission agents) have received income tax (I-T) notices/summons, and couple of them have also faced raids from the I-T department in their premises over the past few days. Commission agents that The Indian Express spoke to alleged that the raids were a tactic to intimidate them for supporting the farmers’ protest.