Ludhiana/Amritsar. Farmers in Punjab on Sunday blocked roads and staged a protest on railway tracks at several places in the state against the alleged slow procurement of paddy in the ongoing Kharif marketing season. While the Samyukta Kisan Morcha called for a statewide road blockade from 12 noon to 3 pm, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) also called for ‘rail roko’ for three hours.
Farmers blocked roads at many places including national highways, causing inconvenience to commuters. However, the police diverted the road traffic through alternative routes. BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said that they have organized meetings in Batala, Shahkot (Jalandhar), Bathinda, Ajitwal (Moga), Valla Phatak (Amritsar), Patti (Taran Taran), Malout (Muktsar), Jalalabad (Fazilka), Kotkapura. ‘Rail Roko’ protests were held at 17 places including (Faridkot), Mansa, Dhablan (Patiala), Sunam (Sangrur), Malerkotla, Kila Raipur (Ludhiana), Lalru (Mohali), Talwandi Bhai (Ferozepur) and Mandiala (Hoshiarpur).
In Ludhiana, farmers disrupted road traffic at many places including Samrala, Kohra, Khanna, Raikot, Doraha, Payal and Jagraon. Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said that despite the assurance of smooth procurement of paddy by the state government, farmers are facing problems in the grain markets. In Hoshiarpur, farmers blocked road traffic near Bijli Ghar Chowk, SDM Chowk and Adda Bhangala.
The protesters also sat on the railway tracks in Mandiala village on the Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar railway section. The protesting farmers alleged delay in procurement and lifting of paddy in the state. They also raised slogans against the state and central governments and accused them of failing to start paddy procurement and lifting operations in government mandis. They demanded immediate start of the procurement work and warned that if this was not done, their agitation would intensify. BKU (Doaba) blocked the road at Sugar Mill Crossing in Phagwara.
BKU (D) general secretary Satnam Singh Sahni alleged that paddy lifting from the mandis is slow or almost non-existent, leading to delays in harvesting of paddy in the fields and also in preparation for sowing of wheat crop. There is a delay. Protesting farmers sat at Valha railway crossing in Amritsar to protest against the slow procurement of paddy crop.
Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Parminder Singh Ugrahan said that the farmers have blocked the Amritsar-Pathankot railway track.
Farmers have blocked roads at many places including Attari and Kukarwal village near Ajnala town. Farmers sat on the railway tracks at Sunam railway station in Sangrur. In Moga, farmers blocked the Firozpur-Ludhiana National Highway near Dunake. Rice mill owners and commission agents of the state are also supporting the farmers’ protest.