Mansa, September 23
High drama was witnessed as farmers and traders came face to face at Jwaharke village with police personnel and officials on the reopening of the cattle market.
A heavy police force was pressed into service which dispersed farmers and traders from the spot.
Despite Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray’s orders prohibiting reopening of the cattle markets in the wake of the lumpy skin disease (LSD), the markets were reopened at Maur and Jwaharke in the past eight days.
Parray, who also holds the additional charge of Mansa district, said, “Despite giving instructions that the LSD cases were still surfacing, farmers and other stakeholders reopened the cattle markets in Mansa and Bathinda. Today, we deployed cops and the SDM in Mansa. High drama was witnessed as farmers showed reluctance, but the police personnel ensured that they do not reopen the cattle market.”
A leader of the Punjab Kisan Union said, “We also blocked a road to express resentment, but officials did not allow us open the market. We were outnumbered, thus the police managed to disperse us. We will open the cattle market next week.”
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