Farmers end stir after Haryana govt says farmers may bring paddy to mandis
Shahabad ( Kurukshetra ): Farm activists ended their day-long protest in Shahabad on Wednesday after Haryana govt assured them that it will seek a policy-driven decision from the Centre to start paddy procurement from Sep 15 every year from next season and it would try to start procurement earlier this year.
The assurance came after the protest by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) intensified during the day, with the union’s activists continuing to block the busy Barara Road amid a stronger buil-up of protesters and security personnel. The protest was lifted after talks between BKU (Charuni) functionaries and senior officers led to an interim arrangement for farmers bringing paddy to mandis before formal procurement begins.
Food and civil supplies director general Anshaj Singh announced the state govt’s principal secretary was in talks with the Centre to get procurement started at the earliest this year.
Until approval is received, farmers can bring their paddy to mandis, where the market committee, with support from arhtiyas, will dry and stack the crop, he added. Once procurement begins, farmers will not have to take the crop out again to obtain a gate pass. Their photographs and biometrics will be recorded at the mandi and gate passes issued there, he said.
The official assured farmers they would not be stopped from bringing paddy to the grain markets and that the state govt and market committees would take responsibility for their crop.
Kurukshetra DC Vishram Kumar Meena said about 22,000 metric tonnes of paddy had already reached grain markets in the district. The routine procurement calendar begins Oct 1, but farmers in the belt harvest early as paddy varieties have changed.
The day began with the early-morning detention of several farm functionaries, including BKU (Charuni) spokesman Rakesh Bains and worker Jasbir Singh Mammu Majra. They were released in the evening after the protest ended.
The assurance came after the protest by Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) intensified during the day, with the union’s activists continuing to block the busy Barara Road amid a stronger buil-up of protesters and security personnel. The protest was lifted after talks between BKU (Charuni) functionaries and senior officers led to an interim arrangement for farmers bringing paddy to mandis before formal procurement begins.
Food and civil supplies director general Anshaj Singh announced the state govt’s principal secretary was in talks with the Centre to get procurement started at the earliest this year.
Until approval is received, farmers can bring their paddy to mandis, where the market committee, with support from arhtiyas, will dry and stack the crop, he added. Once procurement begins, farmers will not have to take the crop out again to obtain a gate pass. Their photographs and biometrics will be recorded at the mandi and gate passes issued there, he said.
The official assured farmers they would not be stopped from bringing paddy to the grain markets and that the state govt and market committees would take responsibility for their crop.
Kurukshetra DC Vishram Kumar Meena said about 22,000 metric tonnes of paddy had already reached grain markets in the district. The routine procurement calendar begins Oct 1, but farmers in the belt harvest early as paddy varieties have changed.
The day began with the early-morning detention of several farm functionaries, including BKU (Charuni) spokesman Rakesh Bains and worker Jasbir Singh Mammu Majra. They were released in the evening after the protest ended.
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