Farmers stop trains, gherao Central team over paddy crisis

RAMPURA PHUL, OCT 7: As paddy continues to pile up in the mandis of Punjab, with the Food Corporation of India stating that it doesn't mee...

RAMPURA PHUL, OCT 7: As paddy continues to pile up in the mandis of Punjab, with the Food Corporation of India stating that it doesn8217;t meet the prescribed specifications, the ire amonmg farmers continues to grow.

Rail traffic on the Bathinda-Ambala section has come to a standstillwith farmers blockading the rail lines. Trains scheduled to reach Bathinda from Ambala, Delhi and Hardwar were today detained at Ambala.

The farmers also gheraoed a three-member Central team, which was despatched after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal took up the matter with the Prime Minister, at Kalyan Sukha village and raised slogans against them. Administrative sources said that the team would submit its report to the Union government by Tuesday.

The farmers had started their agitation here yesterday and had blocked road traffic. The decision to stop the trains was taken after the authority did not turn up for the redressal of their problems. The farmers had also gheraoed Punjab Science and Technology Minister Chiranji Lal Garg at Mour.

The spokespersons of Bharti Kisan Union, an organisation spearheading theagitation said that a team comprising of the additional deputy commissionerand other senior police and civic authorities had come to Rampura Phul tonegotiate however the delibrations ended in a deadlock following theadministration did not commit paddy procurement.

The farmers had earlier decided to continue their dharna till 6 am today, however, later they resolved to make it an indefinite affair, farmer leader said. The farmers said that they would spread their agitation to other parts of Punjab also. They declared that the rail traffic would be disrupted at Dhuri-Jakhal route. The decision was taken at a meeting of the BKU, here.

Meanwhile various farmer leaders condemned the statement of Bhure Lal,Chairman, Food Corporation of India, that 80 per cent paddy did not meet theprocurement standards. The farmer leaders including former BKU senior vice-president Harnek Singh, Jhanda Singh Jethuke, district president and Surjit Singh Phul, press secretary, BKU said that the statement aded insult to their agony. They alleged that the FCI chairman8217;s statement wasreflective of a connivance between the FCI and the private sheller owners.They called on the farmers saying that they should not sell their paddybelow the market support price MSP.

Story continues below this ad

The district administration yesterday made elaborate arrangements totransport the stranded rail passangers. The authorities arranged buses toensure that the passengers were not harassed and they reached theirdestinations.