Farmers Movement Archive

Amid farmers’ protests in Haryana, govt agrees to start paddy procurement from today

Amid state-wide protests by farmers on Saturday, the Union government has now agreed to start procurement of paddy in Haryana from October 3.Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar made this announcement after a meeting with Union minister of state for food and public distribution, Ashwani Kumar Choubey, in Delhi.Khattar meets Union minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey“We raised the issue with the Union minister and requested him to resolve the matter and it was decided that procurement of paddy will start from October 3 instead of October 11,” Khattar told the media after the meeting in New Delhi.He said paddy arrival in mandis and the concerns of farmers are valid, thus, it was decided that procurement will begin from Sunday. Khattar said, “We hope farmers who held protests demanding that procurement be started immediately will stop their protest.”The decision has come as a major relief for thousands of farmers, arhtiyas and mandi labourers as huge stocks of unprocured paddy is lying in the mandis for past couple of days. Directions have been issued to district-level officials to start procurement from Sunday.Earlier, procurement in around 200 mandis and purchase centres of Haryana was to start from September 25 and later it was delayed to October 1. But late on September 30, the Union government had directed the procurement agencies of Punjab and Haryana to defer the procurement to October 11 citing higher moisture content in paddy and delay in harvest due to recent rains.The move had evoked severe criticism from farm unions and they had threatened to gherao residences of all MLAs and MPs and start indefinite protests if government fails to start procurement immediately.Day of protests across stateOn Saturday, as per directions of senior farm leaders including Gurnam Singh Charuni, farmers associated with different farm unions held meetings, took out protest marches, broke barricades and managed to reach the residences of leaders of the ruling parties.In Karnal, the administration had made elaborate security arrangements around the CM’s residence in Prem Nagar but the agitators broke the barricades with a tractor-trailer and reached the residence to start an indefinite protest.The farmers also installed a flag of farm union on a wall of the CM’s residence. Farmers even pitched a tent outside the CM house for a long haul if procurement is not started soon.In Kaithal, farmers also got support of anganwadi workers and helpers’ union. They breached the barricades and reached the residence of minister of state Kamlesh Dhanda.Similar protests were reported from Kurukshetra’s Shahbad as farmers carrying trolleys laden with paddy reached the residence of sports minister Sandeep Kumar and JJP MLA Ram Karan Kala.Farmers protested outside the houses of deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa, minister of state Anoop Dhanak and BJP MLA Kamal Gupta in Hisar to register their protest.They also laid siege outside the residences of Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal, Sonepat MP Ramresh Kaushik, Bhiwani-Mahendergarh MP Dharambir Singh and state agriculture minister JP Dalal’s residence in Bhiwani.The farmers burnt plants of bajra, cotton and paddy outside the ruling party leaders’ houses and raised slogans against them.Farmers vacate protest sites in Ambala, YamunanagarHours after the government announced to re-schedule paddy procurement in the state, farmers in Ambala and Yamunanagar vacated the protest sites outside the residences of MLAs on Saturday.Earlier, the farm activists, under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), had pushed barricades in both districts to stage a sit-in outside the residence of state education minister Kanwar Pal and Ambala city MLA Aseem Goel.Despite multiple face-offs, the protests remained peaceful in both places. A farmer received minor injuries in Ambala after a barricade fell on him. He was taken to civil hospital for treatment.In Yamunanagar, BKU (Charuni) district director Mandeep Ror Chhappar had a run-in with BJP state president of OBC Morcha and former minister Karandev Kamboj, for calling names to the farming community.‘Victory of farmers’Reacting to the government’s decision to start procurement from October 3, farm leader Jagdeep Singh Aulakh said, “It is a victory of farmers. They have forced the government to start paddy procurement from Sunday.”Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has also termed it a resounding victory of the farmers. “Farmers have forced the Modi government to withdraw its decision of postponing the procurement to October 11. The government will also have to repeal the Centre’s three farm laws.”

Hindustan Times

03-10-2021

Chandigarh