Farmers continue protest at toll plaza in Ladhowal

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 20

The protest by farmers at the Ladhowal toll plaza here continued for the fourth day today. The toll barrier was set free for commuters by the protesters.

Saudagar Singh, general secretary of the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) said toll plazas would remain free till February 22 and protest outside houses of BJP leaders would also be continued.

“We will intensify the stir in coming days as the government is not ready to accept our demands. We are simply asking the government to fix minimum support price (MSP) of crops according to the Swaminathan Commission report. Farmers are marching ahead towards Delhi,” he said.

A leader of the Bharti Kisan Union (Kadian) said they had outrightly rejected the proposal made by Union ministers at Chandigarh to have a

five-year contract with farmers to procure five crops namely maize, cotton, arhar/tur, Massar and Urad at minimum support price of A2+FL+50 per cent and promote crop diversification.

“The decision has been taken to divert and dilute the demand of MSP@C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement, which was promised in the BJP manifesto in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and originally recommended by the National Commission on Farmers, chaired by MS Swaminathan, and submitted in 2006,” said Harmeet singh Kadian, president, Bharti Kisan Union (Kadian).

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