Farmers block Sangrur road, allege tardy procurement
In protest against “tardy” paddy procurement, farmers under the banner of the Kirti Kisan Union today blocked the Sangrur-Barnala road at Bahadurpur village, about 10 km from here.
Union leader Bhupinder Singh Longowal said it was a matter of grave concern that even in the district of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, farmers had been waiting for paddy procurement in the grain markets for the past several days. The state government had been turning a blind eye towards their problem so far, he claimed.
He further said due to the foggy weather conditions, moisture content in the paddy had now increased to a great extent, causing serious problems to farmers.
He said a Markfed official visited the dharna site and assured the farmers that they would not face any problems in the grain markets. After holding talks with the owners of rice shellers, their produce would be procured without any cut, the official told farmers.
On the assurance of the official, the blockade was lifted after an hour. The farmers also announced that if their paddy was not procured from tomorrow, they would intensify their agitation.
