Four farmers killed in two mishaps
- December 16, 2020
- Updated: 01:23 am
DW BUREAU / Chandigarh
Four Punjab farmers returning from protest sites near Delhi borders were killed in two separate road accidents on Tuesday. In the first incident, two farmers belonging to Patiala were killed in an early morning accident after their tractor-trolley was hit by a truck in Haryana's Karnal district, police said. In the accident, which took place on Taraori flyover in Karnal, a third farmer was seriously wounded while some others sitting on the trolley escaped with minor injuries. Taraori police station's SHO Inspector Sachin said the two deceased were aged around 24 years and 50 years respectively. He said one of the farmers travelling in the tractor trolley told police that the truck driver appeared to have fallen asleep behind the wheels which led to the accident. The truck driver managed to flee from the spot, he said, adding a case under relevant provisions of law has been registered in connection with the incident.
"The farmers were returning from Delhi. They belonged to Saphera under Sadar Police station in Patiala," he said. In another road mishap, two more Punjab farmers died while seven others injured when their vehicle collided with a truck near Bhagomajra in Mohali on Tuesday, officials said. Deceased Deep Singh was a resident of Mohali district while Sukhdev Singh Dadiana was a native of Fatehgarh Sahib district. Out of the injured farmers, four, who were wounded seriously, have been referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and a government hospital in Chandigarh, said officials.
Three others were admitted to a hospital in Mohali, they said. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu met the injured farmers. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and elsewhere have been protesting at various border points of Delhi including Singhu and Tikri for over a fortnight demanding the repeal of three new farm laws of the Centre. As a standoff continue between the government and groups of protesting farmers over three new farm laws, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said the Acts have been welcomed in various states across the country but the Centre is willing to continue its talks with "genuine farm unions" to find a solution with an open mind. He also said that the Minimum Support Price (MSP), at which the government commits to procure the produce from farmers, is an administrative decision and it "will continue as it is."
(editor@dailyworld.in)