Farmers give 20-day ultimatum for closure of ethanol plant in Hanumangarh

Farmers, farm labourers and farmer leaders, who held a massive ‘Mahapanchayat’ at Dhan Mandi in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh on Wednesday, gave a 20-day ultimatum to the State government to stop the construction of an ethanol factory at Rathikhera village. The grand assembly was supported by the local Congress and CPI(M) leaders.

Farmer rights activist and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait and farm union leaders Gurnam Singh Charuni and Joginder Singh Ugrahan addressed the gathering and expressed their support to the farmers’ demands. The flags, posters and banners of BKU and Samyukt Kisan Morcha were visible at the venue.

Strict security measures were taken at Dhan Mandi, where multiple layers of barricades were erected and a large number of police personnel were deployed. Prohibitory orders were imposed in the town and the mobile internet services were suspended.

Former CPI(M) MLA Balwan Poonia, who heads the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, said the agitation would be called off only when the State government cancels the memorandum of understanding for installation of the ethanol plant. Farmers in the region fear that the factory would create a livelihood crisis by making the agricultural land barren through groundwater contamination and air pollution.

A 13-member delegation of protesters held talks with the district administration in the Collectorate and put forth the demands for cancellation of MoU, withdrawal of cases filed against farmers for violence and destruction on the factory premises on December 10, and action against the officials responsible for the clashes, in which several persons were injured.

Hanumangarh Collector Khushaal Yadav assured the farmer leaders that a letter would be sent to the State government with the recommendation to accept the demands. Mr. Poonia said the peaceful agitation of farmers would continue till January 7, when the next ‘Mahapanchayat’ would be held in Sangaria.

Mr. Tikait said the groundwater, agriculture and public health in the region were being harmed in the name of the ethanol factory.

A Chandigarh-registered company is setting up the 40 MW grain-based ethanol plant at a cost of ₹450 crore at Rathikhera village, while the farmers have been opposing the factory’s construction for more than a year. The protest intensified in July when the company began constructing a boundary wall, leading to clashes and violence on December 10.

Meanwhile, the State government has appointed a committee, headed by the Bikaner Divisional Commissioner, to examine concerns related to environmental pollution and water toxicity likely to be caused by the plant. The committee will submit its report to the Additional Chief Secretary (Environment and Climate Change).