Paddy procurement: Protesting farmers accept Punjab CM’s invite for talks; to stay put at Chandigarh

The Punjab Police on Friday detained several leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), rice millers and commission agents protesting against tardy paddy procurement in Mohali district in Punjab to prevent them from entering Chandigarh. However, a few leaders managed to reach Kisan Bhawan in Sector 35.

Those who reached the Kisan Bhawan were contained in the building with barricades and Rapid Action Force keeping guard outside.

"We will not turn back from here and hold a meeting with CM Bhagwant Mann on Saturday. But we will make Kisan Bhawan our centre of protest," Raminder Singh, leader of Kirti Kisan Morcha, said.

Farmer leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said that a decision on marching towards the chief minster's residence would be taken once all leaders reach here.

Leaders, including Manjit Dhaner, Ruldu Singh Mansa, Angrej Singh, Tarsem Singh Bains and Gurmeet Singh Mehma, have been detained.

Earlier in the day, ahead of the protest march by farm leaders against the tardy paddy procurement, various union leaders were invited for talks by CM Bhagwant Mann on Saturday evening.

The members and leaders of farmer unions and associations of arhtiyas and rice millers have left from all over Punjab and are headed towards Chandigarh. However, the leaders are alleging that they are being stopped by the police on the outskirts of the city.

Raminder Singh, an SKM leader, said that several farmers coming with him had been stopped at the Airport Road. “Many others, including Balbir Singh Rajewal, have been stopped at Bhago Majra,” he said, adding that a decision on the protest march to the CM’s residence would be taken once all stakeholders reached Kisan Bhawan.

All three stakeholders in the paddy procurement--farmers, rice millers and commission agents--have been protesting since the paddy procurement season began. While farmers are alleging harassment saying no space was available to keep paddy in mandis, millers have refused to mill the paddy, though they have agreed to give their space to the government to keep the paddy.

Commission agents, on the other hand, are demanding that their commission be restored at 2.5 per cent of the paddy MSP. It was capped at Rs 46 per quintal a few years ago.