Punjab paddy protests: Roads to be avoided following farm protests across state
Highways criss-crossing through Punjab will remain closed for commuters for four hours today, on a call for protests by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions. The protest is against the tardy lifting of paddy in mandis across the state.
The call for the protest was given by the SKM in their meeting held at Ludhiana on Wednesday, four days after their ultimatum given to the Punjab government to resolve the issues and ensure that farmers’ produce was bought expeditiously. Last week, they had staged a protest in Chandigarh. But after being called for a meeting by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on October 19, they had postponed their protest by four days.
According to information gathered by The Tribune, the protests have been planned in all districts, mainly at highways near the mandis. These include: Fazilka district (near Fazilka Bridge, Dana Mandi in Jalalabad, Dana Mandi Abohar); Bathinda district (Rampura Maur Chowk, Sangat Kanchiyan, Goniana, Maur and Talwandi Sabo); Barnala district (Teen Koni Bhador, Dana Mandi Mehal Kalan, Badbar and Rureke Kalan) and Ludhiana district (Jagraon in front of Sugar Mill).
In Sangrur, the protests are proposed to be held at Bhawanigarh, Dhuri, Lehra Gaga-Bahadurpur highway, Katron Chowk Sherpur; in Ropar district near Police Lines, Bunga Sahib and at Anandpur Sahib.
Moga will see protests near Dana Mandi at Baghapurana, Nestle Dairy plant near Moga, Dharamkot and Kot Ise Khan
Protests will also be held at Patiala-Sirhind road in Patiala, GT Road in Rajpura, Malerkotla Road in Nabha, Bhawanigarh Chika road in Samana, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk at Pataran, Pihowa road in Devigarh; in Faridkot at Dana Mandi Jaito, Dana Mandi near Faridkot and Sadik; in Ferozepur district (Lakho K Behram, in Talwandi Bhai Chowk and Makhu on Amritsar Bathinda road) in
Mohali at Banur, Bhago Majra (Baronpur) ITI Chowk Lalru, Kurali); in Muktsar district at Lambi, Aulakh, Dohak, Jhabelwali, Panniwala) in Kapurthala district at Dhilwan Highway, Opposite Dana Mandi, Kapurthala); in Gurdaspur district (Babri Chowk, Gurdaspur), besides all other districts.
The police are making arrangements for travel through alternate routes during this protest.
Meanwhile, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced to start an agitation on the issue of tardy paddy purchase and short supply of DAP fertiliser in Punjab. They have announced to start protest dharnas at four places in the state from October 26. They will hold dharnas at Phagwara, Batala, Dagru in Moga and Barbarkakan in Sangrur, from 1 pm onwards and said that they will stop the flow of traffic.
Farmer union leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher, Surjit Singh Phool, Satnam Singh Baheru and Manjit Singh Rai yesterday held the central and state governments equally responsible for the tardy purchase paddy in the state. "It is clear that both the governments want to help the private players, waiting to enter this food procurement business,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher.
The farmer leaders also warned of an impending crisis because of non-availability of DAP, and urged both governments to resolve the issue of shortage of the fertiliser, or face the wrath of farmers.
