Farmers continue rail blockade in Amritsar
Amritsar: Farmers squatted on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track here on Sunday, continuing their 'rail-roko' agitation against the contentious farm bills passed by the Parliament last week.
People from nearby villages brought cooked food and other items for the demonstrators. 'Langar' (community kitchen) has also been organised at the site by local gurdwaras.
Women wearing saffron dupattas also joined the protest, raised slogans against the Centre and said they would not allow the implementation of the three legislations.
Farmers, under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, have been staging a sit-in on the rail track in Punjab since last Wednesday.
Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher demanded that all the sitting 13 MPs from Punjab should tender their resignation with immediate effect in support of the farmers' demands. He asserted that BJP leaders would not be allowed to enter villages.
The committee had announced to extend their agitation till September 29. Trains services remained suspended in the state because of the protest.
Farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre's farm reforms would pave a way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big companies.
Parliament had passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020; the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill; and the Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill. These are yet to get the assent of the President.
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Karnataka electoral roll SIR exercise to begin from June 20
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka will begin SIR of electoral rolls from June 20 as part of a nationwide exercise covering 16 states and three Union territories, CEO Anbu Kumar said on Friday.
The drive will cover more than 5.55 crore electors in the state, he said.
As per the schedule notified by the Election Commission (EC), preparation, training and printing activities will be carried out from June 20 to June 29 and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct house-to-house visits from June 30 to July 29.
The rationalisation of polling stations is scheduled to be completed by July 29. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, following which claims and objections can be filed between August 5 and September 4.
The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue from August 5 to October 3, and the final electoral roll will be published on October 7, it said.
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Addressing a press conference here, CEO Kumar said that in Karnataka, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer is fully prepared to proceed with the SIR of electoral rolls.
As part of this exercise, we have successfully mapped 86.46 per cent of our voters, he said.
"The primary objective of this entire exercise is to ensure that every eligible voter is enrolled, while simultaneously ensuring that no ineligible individuals are included in the voter list. Therefore, I seek the support and cooperation of all the voters of Karnataka, all political parties, and our friends from the media," he added.
According to the statement issued by the CEO's office, 59,050 BLOs will be involved in the SIR of the electoral roll in the state. The exercise will cover approximately 5,55,74,064 electors in the state as of May 12.
The SIR is a participative and transparent exercise involving electors, political parties and the election machinery. During the revision process, BLOs will undertake house-to-house visits for the distribution and collection of enumeration forms, the statement said.
Stating that there are currently 25,284 Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by recognised political parties, the CEO urged all recognised political parties to appoint BLAs for every polling station to ensure active participation and transparency in the revision process.
Electors have been requested to cooperate with BLOs during the house-to-house distribution and collection of enumeration forms.
Further details regarding the revision process, forms and schedule will be made available on the official websites of the District Election Officers, the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, and the Election Commission of India, the statement said.
