In small villages, farmers say no one to address their grievances

Mehamdpur, a small village on the Patiala-Sangrur national highway that leads to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, has farmers waiting for their produce to be procured for the past over a week. The market shed is already full of paddy stock and the produce can also be seen lying in the open.

“I have been here with my paddy for the past five days, but there is no officer to explain the situation to us. The SDM came only once. There’s hardly any space for farmers to unload their produce or spread that out for drying up,” says Jagroop Singh.

Many other farmers also complained of tardy lifting and poor facilities. “We spend nights with mosquitoes and stray dogs. The condition of urinals is pathetic. The mandi board officials earn lakhs and in the name of facilities, they cannot even arrange clean toilets and filtered drinking water, leave aside any sitting arrangement,” says Harbir Singh.

Alleging poor arrangements and tardy lifting, farmers say, “Let the next elections come and the farmers know how to avenge the harassment they have faced. It is unforgettable.”

They say their struggle will not be over even after their produce is procured. “Once back to our farms, shortage of DAP fertiliser will be another big issue. The struggle to get subsidised DAP at Rs 1,350 per bag will start as its market rate has touched Rs 1,750 to Rs 2,000 per bag,” said Gurbinder Singh, who has spent four days in the mandi.