Farmers Movement Archive

Arhtiyas fume over I-T raids, to shut down grain markets in Punjab

PATIALA/BATHINDA: Expressing resentment against the raids carried out on Arhtiyas by the income-tax (I-T) department, Punjab arhtiyas (commission agents) have decided to shut down all grain markets in the state from Tuesday to Friday. Describing the raids as pressure tactics by the Union government against the arhtiyas for supporting agitating farmers, they also demanded immediate suspension of the I-T raids carried out late on Friday night and on Saturday in Rajpura, Samana in Patiala district and in Nawashahar district with the help of CRPF jawans. Around 16 arhtiyas were served notices by the I-T department and raids were carried out on six arhtiyas who have state-level designations in the arhtiya unions. There are around 28,000 licensed commission agents in Punjab. The Punjab farm unions have condemned the I-T raids and announced their support in a meeting on Sunday evening. Punjab Kisan Union president Ruldu Singh Mansa asked his activists to gherao income-tax officials if they conduct raids on the premises of arhtiyas anywhere in Punjab. Ruldu said a five-member committee of the farm organisations had been sent from Singhu border to Punjab to look into the matter of incometax department raids. A five-member delegation of arhtiyas will also meet farm union leaders in Delhi in a couple of days. “We have held talks with senior leaders of the 32 farm organisations of Punjab, who have assured us support. As farm leaders asked us to send a five-members committee to Delhi to brief them, we have formed a committee comprising Amarjit Singh Brar, Sukhwinder Singh Cheema, Jatinder Garg, Mahavir Singh and Naresh Bhardwaj. When farm leaders will ask us, our team will reach Delhi borders,” Federation of Arhtiyas Punjab president Vijay Kalra. “We will shut down the grain markets in Punjab from Tuesday to Friday in protest. We do not want to shun the grain markets for indefinite period as the cotton farmers will get harassed with closure of the mandis. The I-T officials should immediately return all the documents and books of arhtiyas. We will gherao I-T officials if any other raid is carried out on the arhtiyas,” Kalra added. However, another group of arhtiyas plans to shut down mandis till their demands are met. “We have decided to shut down all 153 grain markets in Punjab till our demands are met. The I-T department had carried out raids late night on the arhtiyas and instead of taking the Punjab state police they brought CRPF which only shows the motive of the central government to intimidate the arhtiya community who have extended support to the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws. The I-T officials had taken away the regular books that comprise simple details, including loans given to farmers, and these should be returned to arhtiyas immediately,” Punjab Arhtiya Association Punjab president Ravinder Singh Cheema, said.

The Times of India

2020-12-21

Amritsar