Shimla, March 21 — A large number of farmers and horticulturists staged a protest in Shimla, demanding the resolution of land-related issues, including eviction concerns. Carrying banners and placards, the protesters marched from Panchayat Bhawan to Ambedkar Chowk, calling for government intervention.
Later, a delegation of the Himachal Pradesh Kisan Sabha met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu at Chowra Maidan. Sukhu assured them that their demands would be considered sympathetically. “The welfare of farmers and orchardists is the state government’s priority. They will not be displaced under any circumstance,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the government had introduced the Agriculture Loan Interest Subvention Scheme in the Budget to prevent farmers’ land from being auctioned.
“Every effort will be made to address their grievances,” he mentioned.
Rakesh Singha, a former MLA, claimed that the ongoing evictions violated regulations. “The Supreme Court has also deemed land evictions illegal and a breach of natural justice,” he said.
Kuldeep Tanwar, president of the Kisan Sabha, raised concerns about the impact of natural disasters on agriculture. “Frequent earthquakes, landslides, and floods have damaged vast chunks of land over the past two years, leaving some farmers with no land, not even enough to build a house,” he said.
Tanwar argued that evicting such farmers amounted to a violation of the right to life.
