Centre, state responsible for chaos: Farmers

Activists of the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) today protested outside the Ludhiana DC office against non-procurement of their produce on the minimum support price (MSP) and tardy lifting.

Farmers burnt an effigy of the Centre and raised slogans against the state government. The protesters said the governments had failed to make proper arrangements for paddy storage and lifting, which could impact economy of Punjab.

Charan Singh Noorpura, district chief, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) said PR 126 variety was giving less yield as compared to PUSA 44 and the government should procure paddy having 22 per cent moisture content.

Saudagar Singh, district general secretary, BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), said the government should give Rs 200 per quintal as bonus to those who do not indulge in stubble burning and adopt other methods for managing stubble. “No case should be registered against the farmers and no fine should be imposed on them,” he said.

“The farmers are blocking national highways, freeing toll plazas and requesting the government for smooth procurement but nobody is listening to us,” said Saudagar, adding the AAP-led government in the state and the PM Modi-led government in the Centre were responsible for the ongoing mess.

“The Centre is giving step-motherly treatment to Punjab. Procured crop is not being lifted by rice millers. The state government has become a mute spectator. The farmers are bearing the maximum brunt,” he added.

Bhajan Singh, a farmer, said, “The lack of storage space in godowns of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) points that the rice millers have been unable to dispose of the milled rice from the last year.”

The protesting farmers said delay in harvesting paddy would impact sowing of wheat.