Archit Watts
Tribune News Service
Protests against the slow lifting of paddy have become the order of the day in Muktsar district, where farmers and commission agents are fed up with the poor arrangements made by the state government.
So far hardly a day has passed this procuring season when the farmers haven’t lodged protest and blocked roads in demand of speedy lifting of paddy from the mandis across the district.
Till date, this procuring season, nearly 15 such protests have been witnessed in Muktsar district alone, which is the home district of ruling Badal family.
Irate farmers here alleged that their produce was now being consumed by animals, as it had been lying in the open in the mandis for the past so many days and the officials of the procuring agencies have failed to streamline the procuring process.
The situation was said to be dismal in Lambi assembly constituency, where the farmers were repeatedly blocking Fazilka-Delhi national highway as a tool to speed up the process of lifting. In a number of villages, the irate farmers blocked the highway to urge the “erring” officials of the district administration to start the procurement.
The commission agents of Muktsar town also adopted the path of protest today. However, with the timely intervention of the district administration officials, they called off their strike against the arbitrary conditions of the rice mill owners.
The commission agents had alleged that the rice mill owners were procuring the paddy after under weighing the stock, saying that the paddy’s moisture content was high.
However, a team of senior officials of the district administration held a joint meeting between the delegation of Kacha Arhtiya Association and Rice Millers’ Association and directed them to co-operate with each other in streamlining the process.
Yesterday, a labourers’ union had also lodged protest at Muktsar grain market against the encroachments made by some people. They said no space was left for unloading paddy crop brought by the farmers.
Commuters' nightmare
Oct 10: NH-10 near Kabarwala village blocked for an hour Oct 11: Muktsar-Sadiq-Ferozepur road near Seerwali village blocked for four hours Oct 13: Farmers of various villages block NH-10 for six hours Oct 14: Lambi villagers block NH-10 outside Lambi police station Oct 15: Farmers and commission agents of Gidderbaha village blocked the NH-15 Oct 16: Mahuana village blocked Abohar-Delhi road for two hours Oct 21: Balochkera villager block Malout-Sito Gunno road for two hours
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