Leaders of 32 farm unions set deadline for govt to resolve paddy crisis, warn of blockades

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of various farm unions, held a meeting on Wednesday and announced to intensify their protests from October 29 onwards if various issues related to paddy procurement were not resolved by then.

The SKM said farmers would hold ‘chakka jam’ from 11 am to 3 pm daily and also sit outside the offices of Deputy Commissioners across Punjab, not allowing them to work during the four-hour period.

The morcha said if any Aam Aadmi Party leader visited mandis, farmers would show them black flags. Representatives of 32 unions from across Punjab participated in the meeting that ran for hours.

They held both AAP and BJP responsible for the tardy lifting of paddy. They also hinted that they would also show black flags to minister Ravneet Singh Bittu if he visits Punjab.