Farmers seize two paddy-laden trucks

GS Paul

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 6

The farmers, who have been holding a protest against the new farm laws on the Amritsar-Jalandhar National Highway, on Friday seized two trucks loaded with illegal paddy which was brought from UP.

This was the second such seizure by farmers in the past 15 days. Earlier on October 22, as many as 26 trucks were stopped that had brought paddy from Aligarh, Bulandshehr and Sitaganj areas of UP which were ordered by owners of rice shelling units in Amritsar and Tarn Taran.

Dilbagh Singh, sarpanch of Rajewala village, said the two trucks were seized in the wee hours. “After scrutiny, we found the trucks laden with illegal paddy which was brought from UP on the order of a rice shelling unit in Tarn Taran. Since the drivers pleaded mercy, we let them go without any police proceedings,” he said.

Harjit Singh Jhita, press secretary of the Azad Kisan Sangharsh Committee, said, “It is a pity the paddy produced by Punjab farmers has been lying unattended in their houses or mandis whereas traders have been buying it from other states like UP or Bihar as it is available at cheaper prices, though it can never match the quality of paddy produced in Punjab. In UP, it is sold for Rs 900 per quintal whereas here it is sold for Rs 1,888 per quintal here, which is the MSP. So to make more profit, rice shellers prefer to get it from outside state. But it is illegal,” he said. On the other hand, farmers under the banner of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, which has been staging a protest at the Jandiala Guru railway station, have decided to vacate the rail tracks to allow the movement of goods trains.

Sarwan Singh Pandher, state general secretary of the committee, said in almost all parts of the state, the rail tracks were freed from any interruption as the agitation was shifted to railway stations since October 21-22 so that goods train could run.

“All the 31 farmer unions have got the rail tracks freed for the movement of goods trains keeping in view the interest of traders, security forces and common people. We too have vacated the rail tracks at Jandiala. The Central Government has been making frivolous excuses to defame the farmers with intent to scuttle their agitation. We have no intentions to intercept goods trains, but the Centre wanted to run passenger trains, for which I want to make it clear that our ‘rail roko’ agitation will continue for which we will plan our strategy ahead,” he said.