Farmers block highway with Arhtiyas in Phagwara, Phillaur

Vehicular road traffic between Jalandhar and Ludhiana remained disrupted due to the road blockade for three hours near Dhannowali Rail Crossing, Phagwara Sugar Mill Chowk and Phillaur on Sunday. Though traffic was being diverted via link roads of the villages, a lot of vehicles were seen standard in the snarl-up.

In Phagwara, as per the proposed programme the over 300 farmers and Arhtiyas belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Doaba) and the Phagwara Arhtiyas Association, led by BKU General Secretary Satnam Singh Sahni and Naresh Bhardwaj (president of the Phagwara Arhtiyas Association), blocked vehicular road traffic at GT Road (Ludhiana-Jalandhar side) for three hours — 12 pm to 3 pm — in front of Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill at Phagwara to protest ‘shabby’ paddy procurement and lifting by the Punjab Government.

They organised a protest at GT Road and raised slogans against the Centre and state government.

Farmer leaders also raised the issue of non-payment of the arrears of cane growers by the Phagwara Sugar Mill. However, for the most part, they criticised the state government for inaction over the problems of the rice shellers.

They said due to the lack of efforts by the state government, the farmers were being harassed at the mandis.

The protestors said if the paddy could not be lifted quickly, they would intensify their stir.

They criticized the CM Bhagwant Mann-led state government for failing to take appropriate measures for making space in the shellers before starting the paddy season. They said the Punjab Government was being run from Delhi.

They also said the Centre was taking revenge from farmers for the protest at Delhi borders. They demanded that the Central Government intervene in the matter and start special trains to lift paddy.