Farmers’ organisations affiliated to Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (Punjab chapter) announced a three-hour ‘rail roko’ protest on April 17, demanding the commencement of wheat procurement and relaxation in norms following widespread crop damage due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
The decision has been taken jointly by farm bodies affiliated with the SKM and the KMM (Punjab chapter), with support also coming from groups under the Azad Kisan Morcha. Farmer leaders expressed resentment over what they described as government inaction at a time when growers are facing severe losses and uncertainty.
According to the announcement made by KMM leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, railway traffic across Punjab will be blocked from 12 noon to 3 pm on April 17 if procurement operations don’t start immediately with relaxed quality norms.
“The delay has led to wheat lying unsold in mandis, while farmers are being forced to accept price cuts by traders who are taking advantage of their distress,” Pandher said.
The blockade is expected to take place at multiple locations across districts, including Amritsar, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Barnala, Tarn Taran, Moga, Patiala, Mansa, Ferozepur, Malerkotla, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Fazilka, Muktsar and Gurdaspur, potentially impacting train services across the state during the protest hours.
“Despite farmers suffering losses due to floods earlier and the recent spell of adverse weather, neither the Centre nor the state government has taken adequate steps to address the crisis or ensure timely procurement of produce at the minimum support price (MSP),” the farm organisations said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}“Despite farmers suffering losses due to floods earlier and the recent spell of adverse weather, neither the Centre nor the state government has taken adequate steps to address the crisis or ensure timely procurement of produce at the minimum support price (MSP),” the farm organisations said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Farmer leaders said that if their demands are not met, they will intensify the stir in the coming days.
BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) protests in Bathinda
BATHINDA: The activists of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) staged a protest outside the office of the deputy commissioner in Bathinda and in other districts on Thursday against tardy wheat procurement. State senior vice president Jhanda Singh Jethuke demanded compensation of ₹50,000 per acre for farmers who suffered crop loss due to adverse weather. A delegation of the union leaders also met the Bathinda DC and blamed the government agencies for the delay in wheat procurement.