Nikhila Pant Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, March 21
Acting on the demand of panchayats of Gehri Buttar, Jodhpur Romana, Gehri Bhagi, Mehta, Shergarh, Bhagwangarh, Gurusar Sainewala, Phullomitthi, Sangat Kalan, Jassi Bagh Wali, Kishanpura, Naruana, Jai Singh Wala, Baho Sivian and Meeya villages, the district administration today asked the Army to remove the net which it had cast in the Bathinda distributary of the Sirhind canal that passes through the Bathinda cantonment.
The district administration issued the orders here today taking cognisance of the fact that the casting of the net was affecting the crop in the villages and might also affect sowing of the cotton crop which was to be done within the next 20 days. The Irrigation Department had also announced uninterrupted water supply to the field starting April 16 to aid cotton crop sowing.
As per information, the Irrigation Department has even threatened police action against the Army for casting the net and disrupting water supply to the villages.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner Basant Garg had called Army personnel for a meeting on March 22 as well.
Following the Pathankot incident, the Army had cast a net into the Bathinda distributory following which the water supply to various villages was severely affected. Village residents had then brought the issue to the notice of the DC and the DC had assured swift action in the matter.
Elaborating on the issue, sarpanch of Jai Singh Wala Hamir Singh said following the irections by the DC, the Army had removed the net from the distributary but cast it again after a few days. Farmers approached the DC again on March 18 and followed up the matter today as well. Phullomitthi farmer Ajaib Singh said not only the irrigation was affected but the water supply to the households in the village was also disrupted.
District general secretary of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, Darsha Singh said if the district administration failed to take action in the matter, the union would assemble farmers from the affected villages and would start staging protests outside the Army Cantonment from March 31.
Meanwhile, Upkaran Singh, XEN, Department of Irrigation, confirmed that the department had already issued a notice to the Army for the removal of the net and in case the Army fails to abide by the notice by March 31, the department would be left with no option but to resort to police action against the Army under the Canal Act.