Farmers protest sale of paddy by ‘outsiders’

Tribune News Service

Barnala, October 28

Farmers of Dhilwan and other villages, led by the BKU Sidhpur, kept the Tapa-Pakho Kanchiya road blocked for many hours on Sunday to protest the sale of paddy from other districts in their area.

They alleged that trucks loaded with paddy from four districts — Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Moga and Ferozepur — were openly entering in their areas and unloading paddy in rice mills, which led to the rejection of their crop.

“Rice millers were openly purchasing paddy from other districts and rejecting our crop without giving any valid reasons. We kept the road blocked for many hours and stopped many trucks loaded with paddy from other districts,” said Roop Singh Dhilwan, district president of BKU Sidhpur.

Farmers also raised slogans against the authorities, who they alleged had failed to check the “smuggling” of paddy to their area.

“Today, the administration has assured that after Monday, no paddy would arrive from other districts in our area. We have now lifted the blockade, but we will take to the streets again if the authorities fail to fulfil their promise,” said Dhilwan.

When contacted, Food and Civil Supply Officer Harpreet Singh, who met the protesting farmers, said they had assured farmers that there would be no sale of paddy from other districts in their area.