Farmer bodies trying to stop supply of essentials

LUDHIANA: Farmer organizations continued their protests, and a group blocked vehicular traffic near Gaunsgarh in Rahon area of Ludhiana on Saturday morning. The farmer organizations are protesting from June 1 to 10 in support of their demands, including the minimum income guarantee scheme, implementation of Swaminathan Commission report, and waiver of farmers’ debts. They are also trying to stop the supply of vegetables, fruit, and milk to cities.

“As part of the protest, our members, members of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rajewal, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, and other groups held a protest at Gaunsgarh on Rahon Road, and blocked the road there from 6am to 9am. We also held a protest at the same place from 5pm to 8pm. By holding such a protest, we didn’t allow the supply of vegetables, fruits, and milk from Rahon and Nawanshahar areas into the city,” said Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of BKU (Lakhowal). He added that apart from other demands, they were protesting for minimum support prices, adequate electricity to farmers, loan waivers, and assurance of permanent minimum income for farmers.

Lakhowal said if their demand of adequate electricity was not met by the government, they would gherao the office of Punjab Electricity Board in Patiala. He added that on Sunday, they would block traffic on Chandigarh-Ludhiana road at Kohara from 6am to 8am to press for their demands.

BKU Lakhowal members said they also organized protests at Jagraon, Mullanpur, Dehlon, Khanna, and Samrala in Ludhiana district. Sources said at Gaunsgarh, protestors threw bitter gourds and milk on the road. BKU Rajewal president Balbir Singh Rajewal said they were for a peaceful protest and had been requesting farmers with folded hands to follow the call. He added they could only protest and exert pressure on the government.

Meanwhile, many dairy farmers and vegetable growers said the impact of the protests by farmer organizations could be severe if they continued with their programme. A dairy shop owner at Pakhowal Road said as of now they were getting milk supply, but they do not know until when farmers would supply it. He added that if necessary steps were not taken by the government, there could be shortage of milk, and prices might shoot up, as the same held true for vegetables.