In response to the planned road blockade by villagers and various organizations on Delhi Road in Khanna, demanding the closure of biogas factories, the Punjab government has invited the coordination committee to a meeting on September 11 at Punjab Bhawan, Chandigarh, to address the issue, reported The Hindustan Times.
A preparatory meeting took place last Sunday at Bachhat Bhawan, Ludhiana, with coordination committee leaders and senior Punjab government officials, including Inspector General of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahni, and the Senior Superintendent of Police for Ludhiana Rural and Khanna. Key members of the coordination committee, such as Sukhdev Singh Bhundari, Kanwaljeet Khanna, Balwinder Singh Aulakh, farmer leader Jagtar Singh Dehradka, and Balwant Singh Ghudani, were present.
During the discussions, it was agreed that three prominent Punjab ministers—Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, and Energy Minister Aman Arora—would meet with the coordination committee to work towards a resolution.
The protesters, represented by committee members Nirmal Singh Mushkabad, Gurpreet Singh Guri, Gurtej Singh Akhara, and Bhinder Singh Bhundari, reiterated their primary demand: the immediate revocation of licenses for the biogas factories operating in Punjab’s villages. They argue that these factories, purportedly established for green energy, are actually causing severe environmental, agricultural, and health problems.
As per media report, the committee noted that in two previous meetings with the Punjab government, they had provided evidence showing the detrimental impact of these factories. On August 20, they presented data from nearly two dozen experts demonstrating the serious public health risks posed by the biogas facilities. Despite this, no action was taken, leading the committee to escalate their protest with the planned road blockade. They hold the government accountable for the situation.
Due to the initiation of talks, the committee has postponed the road blockade by two days to allow for further negotiations. They will determine their next steps following the upcoming meeting.
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