Farmers Movement Archive

No gate pass, farmers in Karnal dump stock to protest new mode

Karnal:Farmers unloaded wheat crop outside the Karnal mandi secretary’s office on Friday in protest against the digital procurement system (online schedule). Led by BKU activist Jagdip Singh Aulakh, they raised slogans against the BJP-JJP alliance government in the state, alleging that its agencies did not procure wheat of farmers who had brought their produce to the mandi. They also alleged that SMSs were being sent to farmers whose crop is not ready for harvesting instead of those whose crop has been harvested. Earlier in the morning, Bhupinder Singh, a farmer from Bijna village in Karnal district, reached the grain market with a wheat trolley. But mandi officials did not let him enter the grain market for several hours, telling him to follow the online schedule. They did not give him a gate pass as he had not received the SMS. Thereafter, protesting farmers unloaded the wheat stock outside the office of the mandi secretary and threatened to continue their protest till the government agencies start procurement. “I brought wheat grown on my three-acre land to the Karnal grain market but was not allowed to enter the mandi for several hours, despite having the registration for 450 quintals on ‘Meri Fasal Mera Bayora’ portal. My crop on 14 acre is ready for harvest but I did not get SMS,” said Bhupinder. He alleged the government was making false claims of having started procurement in all mandis of the state on April 1. “But there are no buyers in Karnal grain market and even the officials are not allowing us to enter the grain market,” he said. Jagdip Singh Aulakh, who is associated with BKU (Charuni), alleged that despite the government’s claims, not a single grain had been was procured in Karnal. He said six farmers had brought their produce to Indri grain market and four to Karnal on April 1. They are still waiting for the government agencies to procure their produce, he said. “We will not follow the government’s online schedule system and will bring our produce in mandis as per the old (traditional) system. The government has to procure it at the minimum support price. We will unload the produce outside the DC office on Saturday,” he added. Karnal ADC Veena Hooda also reached the mandi and tried to pacify the farmers, saying she will take up the issue with higher authorities to sort out this issue with the help of commission agents.

The Times of India

2021-04-03

Chandigarh