Punjabi farmers launched a one-day sit-down protest against the government on Saturday at Phagwara Main Chowk in the state’s Kapurthala district, calling for a number of demands, including prompt paddy procurement. Four national highways will be blocked, according to the protest’s organiser, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Krantikari) Punjab.
The “chakka jam” or roadblocks will take occur in four locations: Sangrur, Moga, Phagwara, and Batla. According to Phul, if the demands are not fulfilled, the blockage will last forever. At a recent meeting on the subject of paddy procurement in New Delhi, which was presided over by Union Food and Supply Minister Pralhad Joshi, it was agreed that he would travel to Punjab to examine the state of paddy procurement. Minister of State (MoS) for Food Ranveet Singh Bittu and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwat Mann were present during the meeting.
“No team (from Delhi) has come yet and the crisis continues. We want them to come immediately to end the crisis (related to paddy procurement). The government is trying to implement the three black laws in different ways. If Captain Amarinder Singh, who is in BJP and was the former CM of Punjab, wants the welfare of Punjab, he should talk to the centre,” said Sarwan Singh Pandher, General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (PKMSC).He further said that the Punjab CM is also going to Delhi and we want Arvind Kejriwal to solve the problems or the entire state will be blocked.
Amarainder Singh met farmers and arhtiyas (commission agents) during his visit to Khanna’s grain market on Friday. He attacked the State’s government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, for its sluggish farmer procurement.
Rakesh Takait, a spokesman for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), said that the demonstration was being conducted solely by Punjabi farmers. Additionally, he questioned the government’s efforts to prevent stubble burning, arguing that farmers should be given answers instead. In a previous conversation, CM Mann asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issue of rice millers and paddy procurement. He said that almost all of the demands made by Punjabi millers have been met by the state government.
