In Mohali, farmers protest over purchase of maize, moong below MSP
The protest ended after a delegation of the farmers met Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian.
3 min read
Farmer unions under Sanjukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) held a protest march in Mohali. (Express photo) Farmer unions under Sanjukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Tuesday held a protest march in Mohali over the issue of purchase of maize and moong below the minimum support price (MSP) by the state government.
The protest ended after a delegation of the farmers met Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian.
The SKM members gathered at Amb Sahib Gurdwara in Phase VIII and then marched towards Chandigarh to hold protest outside Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann’s official residence.
The Mohali police stopped the marching farmers in Phase VII where the farmer leaders sat on a protest demanding the purchase of maize and moong at MSP.
The farmers marched in their cars and SUVs. Heavy police force was deployed on the protest route and barricading was also done to stop the farmers.
The farmers started gathering at Gurdwara Amb Sahib at 10 am and marched towards Chandigarh but they were stopped by the district police.
A delegation of the farmers was then taken to Chandigarh for their meeting with the agriculture minister.
The leaders, including Dr Darshan Pal, Rulda Singh Mansa, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, led the protest demanding MSP on maize and moong daal.
The protesting leaders said that the middlemen are buying the crops at lesser MSP and the state government is allowing it to happen.
The farmer leaders claimed that the growers of maize and ‘moong’ (green gram) were being “exploited” by private traders in mandis by giving them less than the MSP.
“Farmers are facing losses up to Rs 2,000 per quintal in maize and moong crops. Traders have created a monopoly in mandis and the government is not entering the market (for the purchase of crops),” said farmer leader Darshan Pal.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary Harinder Singh Lakhowal said maize and moong farmers were being “looted” in mandis.
He said that against the MSP of Rs 2,090 per quintal, farmers are getting just Rs 1,400-1,500 per quintal in the market. Lahowal demanded that the government enter the mandis through its agency for the purchase of crops.
He said that in the case of moong crops, farmers were getting a price which was at least Rs 1,000 less than the MSP of Rs 7,775 a quintal.
The farmers also demanded arrangements for driers in mandis for drying the maize crop.
Darshan Pal said that they also asked the agriculture minister to arrange a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take up this issue with him. On Monday, the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress criticised the AAP government for not ensuring the procurement of maize and moong at MSP.
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