CHANDIGARH: The farmer leaders protesting against the alleged tardy procurement of paddy in the ongoing Kharif marketing season have accepted the invitation of the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for talks.They will stay put in Chandigarh till they are satisfied over the lifting of the crop from across the grain markets in the State. The protesting farmers tried to move from Chandigarh to gherao the residence of CM Mann but several of their leaders were detained by the Punjab Police. Some of them managed to reach and enter the Kisan Bhawan in Sector 35. The security forces have put up barricades and the Rapid Action Force is keeping a vigil on the situation.The Samyukt Kisan Morcha, rice millers and commission agents had given a call to march to Chandigarh against the tardy paddy procurement. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had invited them for talks last evening.Talking with this newspaper, senior Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal said, “The Punjab Police and Chandigarh Police tried to stop us but we managed to reach Chandigarh. A few of the farmers and other leaders who were detained by the police earlier were later released. As we have reached the Kisan Bhawan, we will stay put here and not move out till the procurement of paddy starts in full swing.””The Chief Minister has invited us to meet him and hold parleys. We have accepted the invitation and we will be meeting him tomorrow. Yet, we will not go back till procurement begins and we are satisfied with it,‘’ he added.”Around 200 to 300 of us will stay put at the Kisan Bhawan, the further course of action will be decided after the meeting with CM Mann tomorrow. The leaders who had been detained including Balbir Singh Rajewal have reached here now,’’ he said.Sources said that earlier in the day the leaders who have been detained included, Ruldu Singh Mansa, Manjit Dhaner, Tarsem Singh Bains Angrej Singh, Gurmeet Singh Mehma besides others. Today morning, the commission agents (Artiyas), rice millers, farmer union leaders and the members of the outfits left for Chandigarh from all over Punjab to take part in the protest. However, they were stopped by the police on the outskirts of the city.An SKM leader said that several farmers coming with him were stopped at the Airport Road in Mohali while the senior farmers union leader Balbir Singh Rajewal and others were stopped at Bhago Majra, but later allowed to move further.”In the first fifteen days of the paddy procurement which began on October 1, over 10 per cent of the 11.10 lakh tones that reached grain markets across the State has been lifted by procurement agencies”, said sources.They added that this year the paddy was sown in 32 lakh hectares as compared to 31 lakh hectares last year and the total produce is expected to be about 230 lakh tonnes as compared to 212 lakh tonnes produced the previous season.
Source link
