Grain markets shut as arhtiyas’ strike goes on

In response to the call by the Punjab Federation of Arhtiya Associations, grain markets across the state remained completely shut for a second consecutive day as conciliatory talks between Punjab Government and Arhtiya representatives could not bear any fruit.

The Phagwara Arhtiya Association staged a protest at Gate No. 1 of the grain market here from 10 am to 2 pm. They raised slogans against the Centre and state government. Leaders of the association, district president Naresh Bhardwaj and the president, Kulwant Rai Pabbi said they would continue the strike till their demands were met.0

They said the demands included replacing the current commission of Rs 46 per quintal with a 2.5 per cent, payment of Rs 50 crore deducted by the FCI for labour EPF, arranging for the lifting of rice from warehouses to make space for new stock, increasing labour charges by at least 25 per cent as they were lower in Punjab compared to other states, releasing full commission to Arhtiyas for wheat sold to the silo in Moga Mandi and reimbursing storage charges deducted by the state government due to delayed wheat lifting this year.

The protest saw participation from several prominent Arhtiya and clerks, including Pargat Singh, Tejashwi Bhardwaj, Gajanand Prasad, Arun Kalocha, Gagan Soni, Prabodh Duggal, Rajeev Gupta, Varinder Gupta, Abhinit Gupta, Jaswinder Ghumman, Ashu Arora, Amit Arora, Hardayal Wahad, Shiv Kumar Gupta, Subhash Kalocha, Davinder Singh, Ram Singh, Ved Prakash Dalal, Mintu Dalal, and Anil Dalal.