The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), representing 32 farm unions, on Wednesday declared a significant escalation of their protests against the Punjab Government's handling of paddy procurement. Starting October 25 (Friday), farmers will initiate a ‘Chakka Jam’ to block roads and highways adjacent to grain markets from 11 am to 3 pm daily, demanding immediate resolution to their grievances.
The decision comes after a meeting held in Ludhiana, where farmers expressed their frustration over the slow pace of paddy lifting. If the government fails to address these issues, the SKM planned to intensify their protests further by staging sit-ins outside the offices of Deputy Commissioners across Punjab, effectively disrupting their work from October 29.
SKM leaders emphasized their determination to demonstrate against any Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader visiting grain markets, pledging to show black flags as a sign of dissent. They hold both the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Central Government accountable for the ongoing delays in paddy procurement, signaling their resolve to challenge Union Ministers such as Ravneet Singh Bittu if he visits Punjab.
The farmers’ frustrations have been compounded by a lack of action following a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on October 19, where he requested two days to resolve the procurement issues. SKM leaders, however, indicated that they would grant a maximum of four days before resuming protests if the situation does not improve.
Harinder Singh Lakhowal, a prominent farmer leader, noted, “We gave the Chief Minister two days to resolve the procurement issue, but we are now prepared to escalate our protests if no action is taken.”
Minister Claims Smooth Lifting of Paddy Across Punjab
In a counter to complaints from farmers and allegations from the opposition parties, Punjab's Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Wednesday claimed that the lifting of paddy is progressing smoothly across all districts. According to him, approximately 90 percent of paddy has already been purchased, with the state witnessing the lifting of a remarkable 10 lakh metric tons, equivalent to 266 lakh bags, thus far.
Minister noted that more than 50 percent of the rice mills in the State have been allocated for the storage and milling of paddy for the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season 2024-25. Despite initial challenges posed by some rice miller groups, the procurement process has gained significant momentum, with over two lakh metric tons lifted in a single day. He highlighted that out of 5,000 rice mills, 3,120 have applied for allocation, with 2,522 mills already allotted. The allocation for an additional 100 mills is expected to be completed by the end of the day.
