Farmers to hold Mahapanchayat on Yamuna e-way on Monday, seek compensation

GREATER NOIDA: A group of farmers under the banner of BKU-Tikait is set to organise a Mahapanchayat at the Zero Point on the Yamuna Expressway on Monday to demand more compensation, representatives of the farmers’ union said on Friday.

They alleged that despite the government forming a committee last month to address their demands, no progress has been made yet. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait is expected to join the protest on the expressway. Meanwhile, some farmers remain in jail following their arrest at the Zero Point during demonstrations in the first week of December.

Sunil Pradhan, spokesperson for BKU-Tikait, said that the decision to hold the Mahapanchayat was taken during a meeting of the group recently. “The Uttar Pradesh government formed a committee last month to implement the recommendations made by a similar committee in February this year regarding increased compensation and developed plots for farmers. However, no updates have been provided, and no meeting has been held with the farmers. To demand action, we will gather at Zero Point on Monday,” Pradhan said.

The farmers’ agitation, which reignited earlier this month, has already caused significant disruptions. On December 2, around 5,000 farmers marched towards Delhi, bringing traffic on the Noida Expressway near Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal to a standstill. The protest continued the next day, resulting in a sit-in and several detentions.

On December 4 and 5, as many as 77 farmers were arrested at the Yamuna Expressway loop, also known as Yamuna Expressway Zero Point, for attempting another march to Delhi. Two days later, on December 6, as many as 59 farmers were detained from Pari Chowk during another protest demanding compensation.

The Uttar Pradesh government had initially formed a committee in February, led by Revenue Board Chairman Rajneesh Dube, to address farmers’ concerns. The committee submitted its recommendations on August 27. However, earlier this month, the government formed another five-member committee to implement those recommendations.

Sukhvir Khalifa, a leader from Bhartiya Kisan Parishad, who was arrested during the protests at Pari Chowk, was released on Thursday evening. “Our priority is to secure the release of other farmers still in jail, including Sunil Fauji and Rupesh Verma,” he said. Khalifa expressed continued support for the farmers’ demands but clarified he would not join BKU-Tikait’s Mahapanchayat on Monday.

The protest on Monday is expected to cause traffic disruptions near Pari Chowk.