Rally by farmers, field technocrats

HOSHIARPUR, Oct 13: Nearly 5,000 farmers and technocrats of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Soil Conservation Depts of the district held a protest rally at the Roshan Grounds under the chairmanship of Kundan Lal, conven-er, Agriculture Technocrats Action Committee, Punjab, to press for acceptance of their demands. The agriculture technocrats demanded restoration of professional pay parity with other technocrats, grant of conveyance and academic allowances, additional increments for higher professionally qualified personnel, rent free accommodation and change in designation of block agriculture officer to assistant director, agriculture.

Satnam Singh, general Secretary, AGTAC Punjab, Balwinder Singh Sohal president, Punjab Agriculture Officers Association criticised the economic and industrial policy of the Centre and said under the pressure of the World Bank, the government was perusing privatisation and export-oriented agriculture policies which worked against the farmers.

Dr Joginder Dyal, president, All India Kisan Sabha, Darshan Singh Mattor, executive member, Kisan Sabha Punjab, Baldev Singh Potta, president, Kisan Sabha Hoshiarpur and Mohinder Singh were among those who addressed the rally.