Report by the correspondent of Mazdoor Ekta Committee
Currently farmers in Punjab are demanding the purchase of paddy by the government A militant dharna on the roads in different districts of Punjab under the leadership of Bharatiya Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, on 17 October 2024, ensured that toll roads were made free. At the dharna, slogans were raised against the Punjab and Central Government.
The farmers succeeded in making the Giddanwali toll plaza on Sri Ganganagar Road in Abohar, the Chowkiman toll plaza in Ludhiana, the Abulkhurana toll plaza on the Lambi Malot Highway in Muktsar, etc. free by staging a dharna on the highway. Beginning 18 October, they have carried out dharnas in front of the houses of MLAs, MPs and ministers of the Aam Aadmi Party government and BJP leaders.
It is reported that the purchase of paddy in the mandis is in a bad state. The arrangements for the purchase are proving to be incomplete. Farmers have been waiting in the mandis for 17 days, as the purchase was to start from 1 October.
The farmers have demanded that the Punjab and Central Government should buy the crop lying in the mandis at the MSP rate. Apart from this, as per the government’s recommendation, the government should compensate the farmers for the low production of Pinaar 126 and Pusa 144 rice crops sown by them and for the loss due to price received below MSP; the moisture limit of rice should be fixed at 22 percent at least; farmers should be given Rs 200 per quintal for disposing of stubble without burning it.
The farmers protesting at the Chowkiman toll plaza in Ludhiana say that the government is deliberately harassing the farmers. Farmers are sitting in the mandis with paddy, but the paddy is not being lifted yet.
Farmer leaders say that if the problem of the farmers is not resolved soon, then the farmers will block the highway indefinitely.