Supply of vegetables, milk resumes in city

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 7

The situation in the city seems to have come back to normalcy after the supply of vegetables and milk resumed on Thursday. 

The protest-Gaon Bandh- was formally called off on Tuesday after paying tributes to six farmers, who lost their lives during a farmer agitation last year in Madhya Pradesh.

As part of the protest, dairy farm owners were not allowed to sell their produce to government-run milk plants and other dairies.

During the protest, Verka milk plant on the Sirhind road was shut down for consecutive three days. The plant has reportedly suffered huge losses due to the shutdown. 

As per officials, the overall loss of business due to the protest has crossed Rs 3 core. About 1.15 lakh litres of milk is procured by the Verka milk plant every day. The plant has a daily supply of 35,000 litres of milk to Patiala city, which was also affected during the protest.

MK Madan, general manager, Verka milk plant, said: “It was a complete shutdown for three days. People also suffered due to the shutdown.” 

Vegetable supply was also hit because of the protest as the largest vegetable market in district Patiala, AC vegetable market, was locked for three days. 

As per the vegetable market committee, there is a daily business of about Rs 50 lakh in the market and throughout the protest the market committee lost about Rs 4.5 lakh every day. The commission agents were also at the receiving ends and lost around Rs 2.5 lakh every day.

Vicky Riwaz, president of the Aartiya Association of the AC Vegetable Market, said: “During the protest, the situation remained highly tensed. Owing to the mounting losses of every stakeholders, farmers had no other option but to call off the protest.” 

Verka milk plant suffers huge loss  

• The protest, Gaon Bandh, was formally called off on Tuesday after paying tributes to six farmers, who lost their lives during a farmer agitation last year in Madhya Pradesh. 

• During the protest, dairy farm owners were not allowed to sell their produce to government-run milk plants and other dairies. 

• Verka milk plant on the Sirhind road was shut down for consecutive three days, leading to huge losses.

• Vegetable supply was also hit because as AC vegetable market was also locked for three days