Roads blocked, blame it on non-availability of bardana

Our Correspondent

Tarn Taran, April 24

The situation in this border area due to the non-availability of bardana (gunny bags) has worsened and farmers, commission agents, palledars and other people related to the procurement process are forced to come out on roads and protest.

A section of farmers, commission agents and others staged dharna on the Kot Budha bridge linking the Majha and Malwa belt and at Ghariala village by blocking road traffic on Saturday.

Mahavir Singh Gill, a commission agent and Sukhwant Singh Valtoha, Laljit Singh Bhullar of the AAP were among others who addressed on the occasion. The leaders highly condemned the move of the state government for not providing bardana to commission agents up to their requirement. They said the state government was ready to give just 40 per cent bardana and the remaining part has to be arranged by commission agents themselves. He said gunny bags were available at a cost of Rs50 to Rs55 in the market, when the state government was offering it for Rs39.9 per bag.

Traffic was blocked at Khemkaran too. Protesters warned that they would stay for indefinite time at the dharna site in case their demands to provide required quantity of bardana in mandis was ignored.

‘Kisan Help Centres’ established

Tarn Taran: Following the guidelines of the Central Government, the Punjab Mandi Board has established ‘Kisan Help Centres’ in all major grain markets of the district to help farmers transfer their money directly into their accounts. The system has been introduced in this season. MLA Harminder Singh Gill said the centres would help the farmers to make sure direct payment comes into their accounts. These centres would register farmers’ accounts through new portal. The centres had been established in Tarn Taran, Patti, Khadoor Sahib, Bhikhiwind, Naushehra Pannuan, Chabal, Khemkaran and Harike Pattan. Employees of the Mandi Board have been deputed at these centres to guide the farmers. OC