Ahead of road block announced by the villagers and various organisations on Delhi road in Khanna demanding the closure of biogas factories, which they claim are hazardous to health and responsible for causing cancer, the Punjab government invited the coordination committee for a meeting on September 11 at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh, in an attempt to address the issue.
A preparatory meeting was held last Sunday at Bachhat Bhawan, Ludhiana, involving coordination committee leaders and senior Punjab government officials, including inspector general of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Ludhiana deputy commissioner Sakshi Sahni, and senior superintendent of police of Ludhiana Rural and Khanna. Leaders from the coordination committee, including Sukhdev Singh Bhundari, Kanwaljeet Khanna, Balwinder Singh Aulakh, farmer leader Jagtar Singh Dehradka, and Balwant Singh Ghudani, were in attendance.
During the talks, it was decided that three key Punjab ministers—finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema, agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, and energy minister Aman Arora—would engage with the coordination committee in discussions to resolve the issue.
The protesters, represented by committee members Nirmal Singh Mushkabad, Gurpreet Singh Guri, Gurtej Singh Akhara, and Bhinder Singh Bhundari, emphasised their primary demand: the immediate revocation of licenses for the biogas factories operating in villages across Punjab. They argue that these factories, purportedly set up under the pretext of green energy, are cancer-causing factories wreaking havoc on the environment, agriculture, and public health.
The committee revealed that in two prior meetings with the Punjab government, they had presented evidence demonstrating the harmful nature of these factories. On August 20, with nearly two dozen experts, the committee showed that the biogas factories are a significant threat to public health. Despite this, the government failed to act, prompting the committee to escalate their protest with the road blockade. The committee holds the government responsible for forcing their hand.
Due to the initiation of talks, the committee has postponed the road blockade for two days, giving time for further negotiations. The committee will decide on the next course of action after the meeting.
