Arhtiyas (commission agents in mandis) too had demanded that the procurement should have started from September 15 itself. (File)Senior BKU leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni Thursday announced that farmers will block Delhi-Ambala national highway at Shahabad on Friday if paddy procurement was not started with immediate effect.
After visiting several mandis, Chaduni has been issuing warnings to the government to start the paddy procurement.
“The farmers don’t have any space to store paddy at their homes. The paddy has been lying in the mandis for the past several days. Neither the government is buying it nor allowing the rice sellers to do the same. The government is not allowing its export too by imposing excise duty,” the farmer leader said.
Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had earlier said that the arrival of paddy has started in the mandis and the government should start purchasing it from September 20. Arhtiyas (commission agents in mandis) too had demanded that the procurement should have started from September 15 itself.