Farmers' Tractor March Towards Ajmer Blocked by Police

A significant tractor rally by farmers, numbering 96 tractors, attempting to enter Ajmer city was intercepted and stopped by police near Lohagal. The farmers, who have been protesting for the past 20 days at Singla Dam in Rupangarh, were en route to submit a memorandum to the Ajmer Collector.

The rally faced a robust police presence at Lohagal, falling under the Shastri Nagar police station jurisdiction. Authorities had set up barricades, deploying around 100 police personnel to prevent the farmers from proceeding further into the city. JCB machines and dumpers were also positioned at the site to reinforce the blockade.

Former MLA Joins Standoff as Talks Begin

Upon receiving news of the rally, former Pushkar MLA Naseem Akhtar Insaf promptly arrived at the scene. Meanwhile, Rupangarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ramkumar Tada initiated discussions with the protesting farmers, attempting to find a resolution to their long-standing demands.

The core of the farmers' protest revolves around the cancellation of a land award concerning agricultural land within the Singla Dam's catchment area. Farmers assert that approximately 2500 bighas of their land were awarded to the Irrigation Department back in 1993-94 during the dam's construction, without their prior knowledge or consent.

Decades-Old Land Dispute Resurfaces

Farmers only became aware of this land award recently, during the ongoing process of bringing water to the dam. This revelation triggered their formal dharna, which commenced on July 25. The issue escalated after previous assurances failed to yield concrete results.

On August 2, Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat had reportedly met with the farmers, promising to present their demand for the award's cancellation before the cabinet. However, the farmers are now insistent on a written and concrete solution, unwilling to settle for verbal assurances alone.

As of now, discussions between the police, local administration, and the farmers are ongoing. The situation remains tense but under control, with authorities focused on de-escalating the standoff peacefully.

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