NAWANSHAHR:On the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, Delhi, a dharna was organized by the farmers' organizations here in front of the residence of Congress MLA Angad Singh of Nawanshahr constituency, which continued till 4 pm today. Farmers' leaders including Surinder Singh Bains, Buta Singh Mahmudpur,
Gurbakhsh Kaur Sangha, Surjit Kaur Utal, Sutantar Kumar, and Mukand Lal said that farmers are very angry with the Modi government's decision to postpone the procurement of paddy for ten days. The mood of the weather is worrying them further, they said. The government had earlier announced to start procurement of paddy from October 1 but the sudden announcement of the government to start procurement of paddy from October 11 took the farmers by surprise, they said, adding the benefit of this delay will be reaped by the millers who will now buy paddy at arbitrary prices. The farmer cannot keep the ripe paddy standing in the fields, the leaders said, adding that the government is only making excuses in name of high moisture content of paddy.
The leaders demanded that Modi led union government should stop treating farmers in a step-motherly manner and start paddy procurement without any further delay as farmers particularly of Doaba belt in Punjab sow potato crops after paddy harvest and any delay in sowing potato crop would further hit them economically.
Farmers under the banner of Doaba Kisan Union too held a day long dharna outside the office of DC here today demanding immediate start of paddy procurement in the state.
A farmer, Mandeep Singh of Gobindpur, said "what the farmers who had sown early-ripening varieties of paddy on the recommendations of agri experts should do now as they have harvested their crops on the premise that procurement, as in the past, would start from October 1".
"Farmers have no wherewithal to manage the harvested paddy for ten days and they don't know what to do in the present circumstances esp when the weather is fast changing its moods, " he said, adding further delay would further increase the moisture content in the paddy crop, besides adversely affecting sowing of wheat and potato crops.