Farmers continue protest, politicians pitch in too

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 25

Irked over slow pace of wheat procurement and non-lifting of procured wheat from grain markets across the district, local MP Bhagwant Mann today gave an ultimatum to the administration to make the requisite arrangements by tomorrow evening or face stir.

The arrangements include purchase and lifting of wheat, labour and transportation. Mann today visited several grain markets in the district. He said the auctioning of wheat was not taking place. Besides, there was an acute shortage of gunny bags to stack wheat while lifting of wheat bags was yet to begin in all grain markets, he said.

Mann said he had told the administration to make arrangements till tomorrow evening else they would block the rail traffic in Sangrur on Monday and hold a massive dharna in front of the DC’s office. 

He said thousands of farmers, arhtiyas, labourers and truckers from across the district would take part in the protest. During his visit to various grain markets in Sangrur, Sunam, Sheron, Cheema, Dharamgarh and Lehra, Mann met farmers, arhtiyas and labourers and gave them a patient hearing.

Mann asked the Centre to relax specifications regarding lustre loss, shrivelled grain and moisture content in wheat so that the farmers’ entire produce could be procured. Mann also lashed out at the Badal government, saying that it had left the farmers, arhtiyas and labourers at the mercy of the Almighty. He alleged the Badal government should have adopted e-purchase, but it had failed miserably even in procuring wheat manually. 

Patiala: Local MLA Preneet Kaur today visited various grain markets to take stock of arrangements.

She interacted with the farmers, arhtiyas and labourers. Annoyed over the "ill-preparedness" of the state government and procurement agencies over tardy lifting and shortage of facilities in the grain markets of Dakala, Gajju Majra, Laloshi and Samana, Preneet Kaur alleged the government had miserably failed in making arrangements for procuring wheat. She alleged there were absolutely no facilities in the mandis, especially drinking water, even as farmers were made to stay there for days together. 

Give Rs 200 bonus: Bajwa

Ludhiana: PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa today called upon the state government to pay Rs 200 per quintal bonus to the farmers on wheat, besides adequate compensation for crop loss.

"The farmers have suffered a heavy damage due to bad weather. The situation has been compounded by the lack of adequate support from the government. The farmers must be given relaxation in wheat procurement specifications. The potato farmers should also be suitably compensated," Bajwa said.