Punjab announces Rs 2 lakh compensation to 83 held in Delhi for R-Day tractor rally

Chandigarh: The Punjab government has decided to give Rs 2 lakh as compensation to 83 people who were arrested by the Delhi Police after a tractor march against the Centre's farm laws turned violent on the Republic Day this year.

The farmers had taken out a tractor march on January 26 in the national capital to highlight their two principal demands of a repeal of three new agri laws and a legal guarantee of minimum support prices.

However, the march took a violent turn as thousands of protesters broke through barriers, fought with the police, overturned vehicles and hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort.

"Reiterating My Govt's stand to support the ongoing #FarmersProtest against three black farm laws, We have decided to give Rs 2 lakh compensation to 83 people arrested by Delhi Police for carrying out a tractor rally in the national capital on 26th January, 2021," Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said in a tweet on Friday.

Hundreds of farmers have been camping at the three Delhi borders since November 2020 with the demand that the government repeal the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The Centre, which held 11 rounds of formal dialogue with farmers, has maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer, while protesters claim they would be left at the mercy of corporations because of the legislations.