Lack of toilets irks farmers at grain market

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 18

Farmers and labourers are a perturbed lot as basic amenities elude the city grain market. In the absence of proper toilets, labourers and farmers have to face a lot of inconvenience.

As the paddy and cotton procurement season is on, farmers along with labourers from far-off villages throng the grain market these days. In the absence of adequate number of toilets, labourers are forced to stand in long queues for hours in the morning to relieve themselves.

Sources in the Mandi Board say as there is a lack of adequate number of toilets in the grain market, some labourers have started using vacant plots situated near the market for open defecation/urination.

A labourer said, “Our work schedule gets affected on a daily basis as we have to wait for hours to use the toilets in the grain market. There are only two toilets for more than 500 labourers and famers who throng the grain market on a daily basis. Last year also, workers had to face the similar problem and the district administration is well aware of the problem. Still, it has failed to take any action till now. The procurement season is on and considering the number of people working here around this time of the year, authorities should have provided basic amenities.”

Moreover, a number of stray cattle can be seen roaming freely inside the grain market, posing a threat to labourers working here. Labourers rue that it is not safe to walk in the grain market as a number of stray cattle keep wandering here and there. Stray cattle in the market often prove a hindrance to their work. They demanded that authorities must make proper arrangements to ensure that stray cattle were kept from the market so that they could work without any fear.

District Mandi Officer Jaswinder Singh said, “Stray cattle are present in almost every market and we have appointed guards to deal with them. The guards steer them out of the market. We have an adequate number of toilets in the market and if workers feel that there is a shortage then they can use the toilets of the Mandi Board.”