Tussle on, paddy growers defy orders, get notices

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 13

Even as farmers are protesting outside PSPCL offices for the past three days, the district administration on Monday continued to take action against farmers who have sown paddy crop in advance. The district administration issued notices to 16 farmers asking them to destroy the crop sown early within three days or pay up to Rs 10,000.

Meanwhile, the protesting farmers, who have been demanding a 16-hour power supply to their fields and permission to sow paddy before June 20, took out a march in the town and later blocked the Kotkapura chowk here. They also flayed the Agriculture Department and the district administration for destroying the paddy crop in some fields.

“If we sow paddy after June 20, the moisture level will remain high in the crop at the time of its maturity and no one will buy it. Therefore, we are demanding water supply in canals and a 16-hour power supply to sow it now,” said Puran Singh Doda, president, Bharti Kisan Union, Muktsar (Ekta Ugrahan).

Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, SDM, Gidderbaha, said, “Out team today visited a number of villages and issued notices to 16 farmers for sowing paddy in advance. The farmers have been told to destroy the crop or they will be fined up to Rs 10,000 and their crop will be destroyed.”