Punjab: Farmers block roads, rail tracks to protest 'tardy' paddy purchase

On Sunday, Punjab farmers blocked roads and squatted on rail tracks at many places in the state as part of their protest against the alleged tardy procurement of paddy in the ongoing Kharif marketing season.

While the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has given a call for a statewide road blockade from 12 to 3 pm, the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) has also given a call for 'rail roko' for three hours. Police diverted road traffic through alternative routes.

In Ludhiana, farmers disrupted road traffic at many places, including Samrala, Kohara, Khanna, Raikot, Doraha, Payal and Jagraon.

Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said despite assurances by the state government regarding the smooth procurement of paddy, farmers are facing problems in grain markets.

In Amritsar, protesting farmers squatted on Wallha railway crossing to protest against the slow purchase of the paddy crop.

Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Parminder Singh Ugrah said farmers have blocked the Amritsar-Pathankot rail track.

Farmers have also held road blockades at places, including Attari, Kukrawal village near Ajnala town.

In Sangrur, farmers squatted on the rail track at the Sunam railway station. In Moga, farmers blocked Ferozepur-Ludhiana national highway near Duneke.

In Sunam, a protesting farmer leader accused the state government of running away from the purchase of the paddy crop.

Protesters claimed that farmers' produce was not being lifted at grain markets. The state rice millers and the commission agents are also supporting the farmers' protest.

While 'arthiyas' (commission agents) are pressing for a raise in their commission, the state rice millers have raked up the issue of space crunch for storing the fresh paddy crop and want the Centre to liquidate the existing wheat and paddy stock to create sufficient space.

Rice millers have also expressed concern over the out-turn ratio (post milling yield) of the PR-126 paddy variety, claiming that it will lead to huge losses to them.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday had said he would meet the Union Consumer Affairs Minister on October 14 to flag the demands of protesting rice millers and 'arthiyas.'

Mann had said the demands of the rice millers and commission agents were genuine and the union government must take a sympathetic view.