Punjab farmers sitting on dharna ignored : Dhindsa

New Delhi, Mar 13 (UNI) Akali MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa today accused the Centre, in the Lok Sabha, of not listening to the grievances of Punjab farmers sitting on Dharna at the Jantar Mantar since yesterday, ignoring their 50 per cent contribution of the total foodgrains to the Central kitty.

Raising the matter during Zero Hour in the House, Mr Dhindsa said the government had not only refused them an audience with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but also refused to accept the protesting farmers' memorandum on their demands.

Mr Dhindsa who was joined by Mr Abhinash Khanna, BJP MP from Punjab said, if the government continue to ignore the farmers, they would not lift their dharna.

''Such indifference on the part of the Central government to Punjab farmers' demands would rather complicate the problems of farming sector in the state.

The ground water has already gone down enhancing the cost of drawing water from tubewells beyond the reach of farmers.. More than eighty per cent of Punjab fields are being irrigated by tubewells numbering about a million now,'' he added.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewala), yesterday, marched to Parliament and later sat on a dharna at the Janatar Mantar demanding reshaping of the Rs 60,000 crore farm loan waiver to cover the Punjab farmers, direct payment of fertilizer subsidy and raising of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.

UNI/JSS Mir AS1303