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Monday, Dec 13, 2004

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Rajasthan farmers end stir

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, DEC. 12. Farmers in north-west Rajasthan ended their two-month-old agitation over irrigation water in the Phase-I area of the Indira Gandhi Canal following an agreement with the State Government on late Saturday night assuring that there would be no reduction in the water supply and withdrawing the charges under the National Security Act slapped on three of their arrested leaders.

The State Government accepted in the agreement -- hammered out after marathon negotiations lasting two days -- that the present level of water supply from the canal amounting to 5.23 cusecs per 1,000 acres of land in the first phase and 3 cusecs per 1,000 acres in the second phase would be maintained.

The water will be supplied through the first-phase canal having the capacity of 8,200 cusecs every year and the second-phase canal with the capacity of 5,900 cusecs coming from Pong dam. The agreement specified that the canal waters would be supplied in Phase-I on "seven-day cycle'', while the supply of drinking water would be "fully protected''.

The agreement was signed between the leaders of the Kisan Mazdoor Vyapari Sangharsh Samiti spearheading the agitation -- Sahibram Punia, Vallabh Kochar and Hetram Beniwal -- and the State Irrigation Secretary, S.N. Thanvi, at the Ajmer Central Jail.

The Government's interlocutors and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, Chandraraj Singhvi and S.N. Gupta, signed the pact as witnesses.

The three farmers' leaders, after their release from custody today, headed straight to Sriganganagar region, where three towns -- Ghadsana, Rawala and Anupgarh -- continue to be under curfew after widespread violence. The night curfew is continuing in Khajuwala town in Bikaner district. More than 300 farmers detained in other jails were also being released.

Even as the agreement provides for maintaining the existing ratio of water distribution, a committee is to be constituted to look into the overall situation in the Indira Gandhi Canal's command area. The committee will have irrigation and agricultural experts and four representatives of the Sangharsh Samiti as its members.

Besides, two separate committees of elected representatives will monitor the water supply to farmers in both the phases. The State Government has accepted the farmers' demand to appoint the Chief Engineer (North), Hanumangarh, and Chief Engineer of the canal project in Jaisalmer as the chairpersons of the committees.

About 20 members of the Sangharsh Samiti's action council, including its president, Sant Lekha Singh, former CPI(M) MP, Sheopat Singh, Sohan Naik, and Laxman Singh, were brought to Ajmer for the talks. An agreement was also reached to appoint a three-member Judicial Commission to look into alleged excesses committed by the Government officials in the use of force against farmers.

Six farmers were killed in police action during the agitation, as the protest turned violent forcing clamping of curfew in three towns in Sriganganagar district and one in Bikaner. The farmers were demanding reservation of certain quantity of irrigation water for them under the canal project.

However, the farmers in Jaisalmer district's Mohangarh town, situated at the tail-end of the 649-km-long main canal, also launched a counter-agitation over the week-end demanding protection of their share of water. The farmers, who organised bandhs in Mohangarh and Nachna, have now suspended their agitation following an assurance given by the Irrigation Minister, Sanwarlal Jat.

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