Farmers Movement Archive

Karnal farmers protest delay in wheat procurement due to schedule

Even as the Haryana government claimed to have started the wheat procurement operations in around 400 mandis and purchase centres in state from April 1, farmers staged protests in Karnal alleging that government agencies are not ready to start the procurement process.Hundreds of farmers reached the Karnal grain market as government agencies did not procure wheat.“Our crop was ready for harvest but we did not get any SMS to bring it to the mandis yet. I brought wheat of three acre to the Karnal grain market but was not allowed to enter the mandi for hours,” alleged farmer Bhupinder Singh, of Bijna village.He said that he had done registration for 450 quintal and 14 acre is ready for harvest but he did not get any SMS yet.After the mandi officials did not give him gate pass, the protesting farmers unloaded their wheat outside the office of mandi secretary and said that they will continue their protests till government start procurement.Jagdip Singh Aulakh, a local BKU leader, alleged that chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and deputy CM Dushyant Chautala are making tall claims that the procurement has started in all mandis in state but there are no buyers in Karnal grain market and farmers are not allowed to bring in their produce.“Four farmers brought their produce in Karnal mandi and six had brought their produce to Indri grain market on April 1 but not even a single grain was procured yet. Government should not make such misleading and false claims,” he alleged.The farmer union leaders have asked the farmers to bring their produce to mandis without SMS as they will force the government to procure it on MSP of ₹1,975. He alleged that SMS are being sent to farmers whose crop is not ready for harvest.After high drama of hours, Karnal additional deputy commissioner Veena Hooda reached the mandi. She told the farmers that she will take up the matter with higher authorities to sort the issue with the help of commission agents.However, officials said SMS are being sent to farmers as harvesting is yet to pick pace and the moisture content in wheat is also high right now.But harvesting will gain pace in next one week and farmers, who could not register themselves on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ portal will be given another opportunity to get themselves registered as the portal will reopen on April 5 and 6.

Hindustan Times

03-04-2021

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