Punjab farmers' protest: Security tightened at inter-state borders

Security has been stepped up at the inter-state borders of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Tuesday in the wake of a call by 16 farmer bodies to hold a protest here to seek compensation for losses caused by floods, officials said.

In Chandigarh, security personnel have been deployed at all entry and exit points to prevent farmers from entering.

A heavy deployment of force has also been made at Shambhu in Ambala located on the Haryana-Punjab border, they said.

In Punjab's Rajpura, barricades have been put up while anti-riot vehicles and a CCTV vehicle have also been deployed.

Sixteen farm bodies, including the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Karanti kari), BKU (Ekta Azaad), Aazaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, BKU (Behramke) and the Bhoomi Bachao Mohim, had given the call for staging a demonstration here to seek compensation for losses caused by floods.

Farmers are demanding a package of Rs 50,000 crore from the Centre for damages caused by floods in the northern region, including Punjab.

They are also demanding Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for crop loss, Rs 5 lakh for a damaged house and Rs 10 lakh compensation for a family of a person who died in floods.

A farmer had died in Sangrur district after being run over by a tractor-trolley and at least five policemen were injured after growers clashed with police on Monday over the "detention" of some farm leaders.

Farmers had claimed that several of their leaders were detained on Monday in different parts of Punjab, while some farmers were also held in Ambala and Kurukshetra in Haryana ahead of their protest plan.

Farmers had even laid siege to some toll plazas in Amritsar and Tarn Taran in protest against the detention of their leaders.