Sangrur protest: BKU Ugrahan farmers question Punjab drone plans for stubble

Farmers affiliated with the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) have blocked all three entrances to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Sangrur, criticising the Punjab government for preparing to deploy drones to track stubble burning while offering no workable system to clear crop residue.

The blockade, which began on Tuesday, has prevented administrative staff and visitors from entering the district headquarters. Large numbers of farmers, including women, have set up camp at the gates as part of an agitation centred on a charter of 13 demands, ranging from farm debt relief to in-situ crop waste management.

Why farmers oppose drone surveillance

Addressing demonstrators outside the complex, BKU Ekta Ugrahan state president Joginder Singh Ugrahan questioned the state administration’s priorities. He argued that the government is expending resources on policing fields from the air rather than helping growers handle millions of tonnes of paddy straw.

Growers understand their fields and know the problems they run into every harvest, Ugrahan said, arguing that surveillance solves nothing without accessible, subsidised disposal machinery. He maintained that state agricultural policies continue to push cultivators into deeper debt, leaving them with few practical choices during the narrow window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing.

Gates blocked at Sangrur DC office

The protest intensified on Tuesday night when demonstrators marched to the official residence of Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur. Protesters held a demonstration outside her residence until around 10 pm, burning an effigy before returning to the district administrative complex.

Women taking part in the dharna raised broader rural concerns alongside farming issues. Several criticised the state government's announced cash transfer of Rs 1,000 for women ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, arguing that families need structural solutions, fair farm returns, and decisive action against drug abuse in villages rather than pre-election cash allowances. They also criticised the Deputy Commissioner for failing to come out to the protest site to receive their memorandum in person.

Confusion over talks with ministers

The union insisted the blockade will remain in place until the government offers concrete written commitments on all 13 points.

The Punjab government has sent formal correspondence inviting union representatives to talks in Chandigarh. Three cabinet ministers—Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, and Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian—are expected to lead the official delegation.

However, the timing of the meeting remains unsettled. While one government document set the meeting for 11 am on 13 October at Punjab Bhawan, Ugrahan cited 11 October as the scheduled date. A final date for the discussions has not yet been confirmed by the administration.