Haryana farmers clear NH 44 blockade as govt agrees to their demands

The protesting farmers said the Haryana government has agreed to their demands to procure the paddy lying in the mandis and to raise the ceiling on the per acre yield

The protesting Haryana farmers on Saturday lifted the blockade from National Highway (NH) 44 near Shahabad in Kurukshetra as the state government agreed to their demands to procure the paddy lying in the mandis and to raise the ceiling on the per acre yield.

Hundreds of farmers blocked NH 44 around 1pm on Friday and spent the night on the highway. (Sourced)

The movement of traffic has been restored and all diversions have been removed as the farmers have vacated the highway, said Kurukshetra superintendent of police (SP), Surinder Singh Bhoria.

Hundreds of farmers blocked NH 44 around 1pm on Friday after their talks with the government and district administration failed, and they threatened to continue the blockade until the government accepted their demands. They spent the night on the highway and held a meeting with the Kurukshetra deputy commissioner on Saturday morning.

“Kurukshetra deputy commissioner, Shantanu Sharma, who was mediating between the farmers and the government, has told the farmers that the government has agreed to procure the paddy lying in the mandis,” said Gurnam Singh chunni, president, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni).

“The farmers have agreed to lift the blockade following an assurance from the Kurukshetra deputy commissioner,” he said adding that the government has been forced to accept their demands.

He said that the government has also agreed to increase the per acre yield ceiling to 30 quintal in four districts and 28 in the other districts of the state from the current 22 quintiles.

The government has also assured that the procurement operations will be resumed soon, he added.

“The government has agreed that the paddy lying in the mandis will be procured to prevent it from getting damaged and the demand of increasing the yield ceiling was already accepted,” said Pankaj Agarwal, commissioner and secretary, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department, Haryana.

BKU spokesperson Rakesh Bains said the procurement has to start from October 1. The paddy already brought in the mandis will be procured on the minimum support price (MSP) and it will be the government’s responsibility to lift this paddy so that the farmers could return to their homes, he added.