A large number of farmers, including senior citizens, were injured as police resorted to lathicharge on them who were staging a road blockade in front of the Satybadi block office in Puri district along the NH-316 protesting the apathetic attitude of the State Government towards the farmer community on Wednesday.
The aggrieved farmers were subjected to police action when they were having their lunch on the National Highway as a mark of their protest.
As per an earlier announcement, hundreds of famers under the banner of the Satyabadi Nilachal Krushak Mahasangh staged the blockade in front of the block office demanding better facility and Government support to farmers.
The farmers started their protest at 12:45 pm. However, no Government officials came to them for discussion for an hour. However, after 90 minutes of the protest, security forces started the lathicharge without any warning when the formers were having their lunch en masse on the road.
Meanwhile, traffic movement was restored after the police cleared the stretch.
A few days ago, police had arrested hundreds of farmers from various parts of the State who were on their way to Bhubaneswar to attend a mega farmers’ convention called by the Navnirman Krushak Sangathan.