Cong MLA leads protest against ‘bias’ by purchasing agencies

Tribune News Service

Fatehgarh Sahib, April 20

Commuters were a harassed lot as farmers blocked the Delhi-Jalandhar national highway to protest the “biased” approach of the Union and state governments’ purchasing agencies while procuring wheat.

Led by local Congress MLA Kuljit Singh Nagra, hundreds of farmers alleged that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) was purchasing wheat crop “from select arhtias” whose names had been “recommended” by the chairman of the local market committee. They further alleged that market committee was acting on the directions of political leaders in the area.

The blockade continued for about two hours and the police had a tough time in controlling the traffic on both sides of the national highway. The farmers lifted the dharna only after the Superintendent of Police (HQ) Daljit Singh Rana assured them that direction would be given to the purchasing agencies to lift the crop without any bias or favour.

Traffic blocked in Sangrur, Barnala districts

Farmers today blocked traffic in various parts of Sangrur and Barnala districts to protest non-procurement of wheat crop by government agencies.

Addressing the protesters at Bhawanigarh, BKU (Dakonda) district president Gurmeet Singh Bhattiwal said, “In the regime of the Akali government, which claims itself to be a pro-farmer government, farmers have been suffering a lot.” The farmers lifted the dharna when a food supply officer assured them that procurement would begin tomorrow. In Barnala district, farmers blocked roads at Dhanaula and Harigarh villages. They raised slogans against the SAD government for “harassing” the farmers by not procuring their wheat crop.