Rajasthan Farmers Suspend Protest After Agreement on Sand Mafia, Compensation

Beniwal had begun a march towards Jaipur on Tuesday with a massive convoy of nearly 2,000 vehicles to press for six key demands, including strict action against the sand mafia and compensation for farmers.

The breakthrough came around 5 a.m., when Nagaur District Collector Arun Kumar Purohit, Superintendent of Police Mridul Kachhawa, and Riyanbadi SDM Suryakant held discussions with Beniwal. After the meeting, Beniwal announced that an agreement had been reached on all major demands, following which the protest was suspended.

Speaking to the media, Beniwal said that teams would be deployed within a day to conduct surveys against illegal sand mining. He added that all agreed actions would be completed within the next two to three days.

According to him, the agreement includes conducting surveys in the Riya area to curb the sand mafia, action against the concerned SDM and mining officials, settlement of pending crop insurance claims, and compensation related to land acquired by the Railways.

On Tuesday evening, Beniwal left Nagaur with a convoy of farmers and supporters. The convoy halted around 9.30 p.m. near the toll plaza at Bari Ghati, the last village of Nagaur district on the highway. Later, at around 11.30 p.m., Ajmer Range IG Rajendra Singh, along with the Nagaur Collector and SP, reached the spot for negotiations. Talks continued until about 1.30 a.m. but remained inconclusive on several points. With no agreement reached initially, the situation remained tense.

The administration had barricaded the Nagaur-Ajmer NH-59 at Padukalan and deployed a heavy police force. Seeing the barricades, Beniwal's convoy turned towards Jaipur, intensifying pressure on the administration and eventually leading to renewed talks.

Key demands raised by Beniwal include action against illegal mining, which should include drone surveys and manual inspections to curb the sand mafia, along with heavy penalties. He also demanded action against officials, which included the removal and suspension of the Degana SDM, Degana DSP, Mining Engineer Rakesh Sheshma, and other responsible officers.

Further, he asked for compensation for farmers, inclusion of villages in the Merta and Riyan areas that were left out of last year's disaster relief. He also raised the grazing land issue and demanded strict action in the alleged wrongful allotment of around 14,000 bighas of grazing land.

Earlier, Beniwal had joined an eight-day-long farmers' protest at Riyanbadi and had given the administration an ultimatum until 4 p.m. on Tuesday to accept the demands. Addressing supporters on Tuesday, he had said, "We are fighting for genuine issues. Farmers must receive pending compensation at market rates, and those responsible for the illegal allotment of grazing land must be held accountable."

With the written agreement now in place, the administration has assured time-bound action, leading to the suspension of the protest and restoration of normalcy in the area.

- IANS