Punjab: On Saturday, farmers in Punjab initiated a sit-in protest at Phagwara Main Chowk in the Kapurthala district as part of a one-day demonstration against the government, demanding timely paddy procurement among other issues. The protest, organized by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Krantikari) Punjab, aims to block four national highways. Surjeet Singh Phul, the union’s president, announced that the roadblocks, or “chakka jam,” will take place at four locations: Sangrur, Moga, Phagwara, and Batla, starting at 1:00 PM. He warned that the blockades would continue indefinitely if their demands were not addressed.
Recently, a meeting led by Union Food and Supply Minister Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi discussed the paddy procurement situation, where it was agreed that he would visit Punjab to assess the procurement conditions. Minister of State for Food Ranveet Singh Bittu and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also attended the meeting. Sarwan Singh Pandher, General Secretary of the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (PKMSC), expressed frustration that no team from Delhi had visited yet, stating that the ongoing crisis needed immediate attention. He accused the government of attempting to implement the three controversial farm laws in different forms and urged former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who is now with the BJP, to advocate for Punjab’s interests.
Pandher also criticized Chief Minister Mann, who is set to visit Delhi, urging Arvind Kejriwal to help resolve the issues or risk a statewide blockade. Amarinder Singh recently visited the grain market in Khanna, where he met with farmers and commission agents, and criticized the Mann government for its slow procurement process.
Additionally, Rakesh Tikait, a spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), noted that the protests are currently limited to Punjab and questioned the government’s approach to stubble burning, suggesting that it should focus on providing solutions for farmers instead. Meanwhile, CM Mann has reached out to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for assistance in resolving the paddy procurement issues faced by rice millers, asserting that the state government has addressed nearly all of the millers’ demands.
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