Farmers protest sluggish procurement of wheat, block road in Mansa district

Mansa, April 17

Farmers upset over the sluggish purchase of wheat at the Boha grain market blocked the Boha-Budhlada main road here today, leading to long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road. The protesters raised slogans against the state government.

They also gehraoed District Food Supply Officer Baljit Singh at the Boha Market Committee office.

State vice-president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) Baba Prashotam Singh Gill, farmer leader Balwinder Singh Mall Singh Wala, leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Dakuda) Balwant Singh, Gurjit Singh Fauzi and former sarpanch Gulab Singh said the farmers had been going to the mandis for the past seven days, but their wheat produce was not being procured on the pretext of excess moisture.

He said there was some problem with the machines meant for checking the moisture content. Market committee chairman Ranjit Singh assured the farmers about speedy procurement, but they remained adamant on seeking relaxation in the moisture content norms in place.

Later, DFSO Baljit Singh assured the farmers that they would bring the issue to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner and officials of the department so that an acceptable solution could be worked out. However, he could not give any relaxation in moisture norms right now, he maintained.

After the failure of talks with DFSO Baljit Singh, the farmers staged a dharna on the road and gheraoed the office of the market committee.