Commuters face trouble as farmers block highways, rail tracks in district
Various farmer unions today blocked the Ludhiana-Delhi National Highway at Sherpur and other highways in the district in protest against the tardy procurement of paddy in the ongoing kharif season. Commuters faced a huge inconvenience as they were made to wait in long queues of vehicles stranded on the highway.
The blockade of rail tracks by the farmers in the state badly affected the railway traffic due to which passengers, including children, faced inconvenience. Some trains remained stranded at the city railway station.
Harinder Singh Lakhowal, president, BKU, Punjab, said state farmers blocked national highways across the state from 12 noon to 3 pm today. The protest was sparked by the state government’s failure to procure paddy crops, despite promises made on October 1.
Lakhowal said farmers were struggling due to inadequate arrangements for paddy procurement. He criticised the Central Government for deliberately creating difficulties for state farmers.
“Blockades were in the entire state and in Ludhiana, farmers blocked national highways in Khanna, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Samrala, Kohara and some other places in the district. Protests were peaceful and even local residents had supported the same,” said Lakhowal.
Meanwhile, farmers, accompanied by arhtiyas (commission agents) and labourers, too blocked the Ludhiana-Moga GT Road for three hours today, protesting against the state government’s failure to procure paddy crops. The blockade was called by the Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Dakounda and Bharatiya Kisan Union Lakhowal.
Leaders, including arhtiya leader Kanniya Gupta Banka, Rajkumar Bhalla, criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government, calling it the most incompetent government so far. They alleged that Central Government’s policies were anti-Punjab and aimed at corporatising agriculture.
They demanded proper arrangements for paddy procurement, solution to the stubble burning issue, end to police harassment and improved machinery for paddy management. The farmer leaders announced that further action plan would be announced in the next meeting at Chandigarh.
