The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : 5-lakh compensation to firing victim

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Thursday, Dec 09, 2004

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Other States - Rajasthan

5-lakh compensation to firing victim

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, DEC. 8. The Rajasthan Government today averted a serious showdown with agitating farmers by conceding their demand to pay a compensation of Rs.5 lakhs to the family of Hazoor Singh, who was allegedly killed two days ago in police action. The farmers had been keeping the body of the victim at 17 KYD near Kajuwala town in Bikaner district, refusing to cremate it till their demands for compensation were met.

A settlement came at the end of protracted talks in the Kajuwala police station in the evening between the farmers' representatives and the Divisional Commissioner, Shrimat Pandey, and the Bikaner Collector. At the end of the talks the Additional Superintendent of Police, Zile Singh Punia, reached 17 KYD village to inform the crowd which had been keeping a vigil on the body, about the settlement. Following this the farmers announced their decision to cremate the body tomorrow in 23 B.D., the village of the victim. As per the agreement the family of Hazoor Singh would get the same package given by the State Government to five others who had died in police firing and lathi- charge in the last week of October. The package includes a Government job for someone in the family of the deceased as well.

But for the tension over the dead body, the day passed off peacefully in the region with curfew in force in the towns of Kajuwala, Anupgarh, Ghadsana and Rawala. One hour relaxation in curfew was allowed in Rawala during the day.

Talking from Sriganganagar, the Communist Party of India(Marxist) State Secretary, Vasudev, said the agitation would continue till the main demands of the farmers over irrigation water were met. There is a bandh call in Sangaria town in Hanumangarh district for tomorrow while a "maha padav'' is scheduled in Sadulshahar on December 10.

"The agitation is going strong all over the region,'' Prof.Vasudev who toured the area for two days said. "There is a people's curfew in force in many villages in the area in which the government functionaries are refused entry. The people are also refusing to pay the `'lagan' '', he informed.

While the State Government, celebrating completion of its one year in power today held a major function on the lawns of the Birla auditorium in the capital, a group of social activists waved black flags protesting the Government "apathy'' towards the plight of farmers.

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