JAIPUR: Police fired in the air to disperse farmers blocking the national highway between Jaipur and Agra at Dehra Mod near Bharatpur town in Rajasthan on Tuesday.

The highway was blocked at different points during the day as the farmers, victims of freak weather conditions which brought rain and hailstorm, got on to the streets to press their demand for compensation.

Those who sustained injuries in the reported stone-throwing by farmers included R.K.Tripathi, the acting Collector of Bharatpur. Superintendent of Police Anand Srivastava said the police fired four rounds in the air to disperse farmers at Dehra Mod police chowki and cleared the roadblocks.

The farmers picketed the road at Chiksana, Ooncha Nagla, Phid Fani, and Darapur and at Chokerwada.

Pradesh Congress Committee president B.D. Kalla, talking to journalists after a tour of the affected areas here in the evening, said 10 farmers sustained injuries in police action in Bharatpur district.

He demanded free treatment and a relief of Rs.50,000 to the injured persons.

Mr. Kalla, who toured Amber tehsil of Jaipur district to assess the damage caused to farmers, said 20 districts of Rajasthan— Ajmer, Alwar, Bundi, Karauli, Jalore, Barmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Sikar, Churu, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, Dholpur, Pali, Sirohi, Nagaur, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur— were so far affected by hailstorm.

The Government should order a "girdawari" (assessment of damages) in the affected areas and provide compensation to farmers, he said.

Mr. Kalla, who narrated heart-rending scenes he came across while visiting the affected villages, said a 60-year-old farmer had died in Amber tehsil out of shock at the damage to his standing crops and another was admitted to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital here.

Mr. Kalla demanded waiving of farm loans up to Rs.10,000 and conversion of short-term loans into long-term loans, besides adequate compensation to the affected.

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