Farmers’ protest hits milk, vegetable supply in city

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 4

As the ‘Gaon Band’ agitation by farmers enters into the fourth day on Monday - a severe shortage of milk and vegetables has been reported in the Patiala city. 

With the shutdown of the Verka Milk plant for the second consecutive day, people were seen going haywire in the royal city. The Verka Plant is one of the main sources of milk in the city, and after the complete cut- off the supply, city residents were left red-faced. 

On Monday, throughout the day, none of the Verka booths, in the city, received supply. Bharat Bhushan, the owner of a Verka booth at NIS Chowk, said, “We did not receive the milk throughout the day. Usually, Verka vehicles come twice a day, but no vehicle came.” 

The various milk dairies in the city are also unable to collect milk from villages - adding to the shortage of milk at dairy booths, as well, across Patiala. 

A dairy owner in YPS market said, “There is an acute shortage of milk. We are trying our best to meet the demands. However, people have started demanding packaged and powdered milk.” Some commercial dairy farmers said they might withdraw from the protest because of their rising losses.

In fact, farmers are keeping vigil, round-the-clock, to make sure that the supply of milk and vegetables do not reach to the city. Teams of 10-15 farmers carrying sticks are positioned at almost all entry and exit points of the town. 

However, no incident of milk spill was reported in the city because protesting farmers have agreed to the request of not to spill the milk on roads. Instead of spilling, the farmers donated the milk to various gurdwara’s in the city.