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Farmers protest delay in paddy procurement in Jind, Fatehabad
Wednesday’s protest followed an ultimatum given on Tuesday, when farmers sat on dharna at the Alewa grain market and submitted a memorandum warning that they would block the road if procurement of PR paddy did not begin by 11am on Wednesday
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Alleging delay in paddy procurement, farmers from Fatehabad and Jind districts blocked a road in Jind’s Alewa for several hours on Wednesday, bringing traffic to a halt and leaving commuters stranded. A group of farmers also staged a sit-in outside the market committee office in Ratia of Fatehabad.
In Alewa, the Jind–Assandh road at the main crossing was blocked, after farmers alleged that the procurement of the PR variety of paddy failed to begin in the grain market. Farmers parked an earthmover and a tractor-trailer in the middle of the road, blocking the traffic flow. Long queues of vehicles formed on both sides, leaving a bus and other commuters stranded. However, the situation was brought under control after Alewa police reached the spot.
Wednesday’s protest followed an ultimatum given on Tuesday, when farmers sat on dharna at the Alewa grain market and submitted a memorandum warning that they would block the road if procurement of PR paddy did not begin by 11am on Wednesday.
Protesting farmer leader Pratap Nambardar of Alewa said growers had been bringing PR paddy to the market for several days and were “being forced to stay there with their crop because buying had not begun”. “Repeated demands to officials had gone unheard,” he alleged.
Uchana sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Suman Yadav reached the spot, spoke to the farmers, and issued directions to start paddy procurement at Alewa mandi.
In Ratia, farmers associated with the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti sat outside the market committee office and objected to procurement delay and low prices. They said local harvesting had not yet started, but the mandi was full of paddy brought from outside, which was selling at ₹2,100– ₹2,200 a quintal.
They said the state government was claiming procurement at the minimum support price, while growers here were suffering losses.
District food and supplies controller Kushal Pal Bhura reached the dharna and assured protesting farmers that purchase of their paddy would be started soon. Farmers warned that if their issues were not resolved quickly and buying at allegedly low rates did not stop, they would intensify their agitation.
