2 min readLudhianaJan 7, 2017 04:38 AM IST
First published on: Jan 7, 2017 at 04:38 AM IST
Farmers protest at Samrala in Ludhiana on Friday. Gurmeet Singh
HUNDREDS OF farmers gathered at the main chowk in the Samrala area of Ludhiana on Friday and threw vegetables, milk, eggs on the main road saying they had no choice but to throw away their produce as demonetisation had caused them losses.
The farmers had come under the banner of Bharti Kisan Union (Rajewal) and they stated that in the upcoming polls, they would ask each candidate his stand on ending the demonetisation woes of farmers.
Balbir Singh Rajewal, union president, said: “BJP is going gaga over Chandigarh polls where poll percentage was nearly 51 per cent and hence angry people did not even vote. This time, I urge farmers to press the NOTA button and reject all parties as demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes has not ended our woes even at the end of the PM’s 50-day deadline.”
Joginder Singh, a farmer from Seh village, said, “We are getting Rs 1 per kg price for cauliflower while Rs 4-5 a kg each for peas and carrots. Potatoes are being sold at Rs 2 a kg by us at mandis and in the evening, we give our animals the stock left to eat as this is the only option left with us. Our expenditure is more than double and income is bare minimum.”
Rajewal added, “Our farmers have not got pending payments of milk supply for the past two months. As milk co-operatives are giving a lumpsum cheque to societies and they are not able to give the cash amount to all the supplier farmers. So, they have no choice but to throw milk on the roads.”
Similar is the condition with payment of eggs. Prices of eggs have also crashed drastically in the market. Poultry farmers thus stated that they were incurring losses while the government was making tall claims over cashless society.
Farmers protest at Samrala in Ludhiana on Friday. Gurmeet Singh
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