Haryana: Farmers block national highway for over 8 hours demanding paddy procurement

KURUKSHETRA: Demanding to start the paddy procurement season, about 400 to 500 farmers have blocked the National Highway-44 for the last over eight hours at Shahabad town in Kurukshetra district on Friday.
The farmers are led by Bharatiya Kisan Union-Charuni (BKU-Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni, who had given a call to block the GT Road, if the government failed to start paddy procurement till Friday evening.
Earlier in day, the farmers assembled at Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial Trust hall in Shahabad and after holding discussion on the issue they decided to block the highway.
Heavy police force was deployed and barricades were laid to stop the farmers from blocking the highway.
However, the farmers forcibly removed the barricades and reached the highway.
The farmers apprehend loss of ready paddy due to rain, as the same is lying open in grain markets.
Notably, official paddy procurement in Haryana starts from October 1, but the farmers are pressing for early start of purchase as paddy crop has started reaching the grain markets.
Kurukshetra deputy commissioner (DC) Shantanu Sharma and superintendent of police (SP) Surinder Singh Bhoria also reached the protest spot on GT Road and made attempts to persuade the farmers.
The highway traffic was diverted to alternative routes by the Kurukshetra police. The general public faced inconvenience due to the blockade.
For traffic towards Delhi, the diversion was placed at Saha turn on NH-44 and for those heading towards Ambala, Chandigarh, at Pipli Chowk towards Ladwa.
Three rounds of talks between the protesting farmers and officials of district administration could not reach any conclusion, when effort was made to persuade the protestors.
In a tweet, addressed to Haryana agriculture minister Jai Prakash (JP) Dalal, Charuni said, "JP Dalal, the procurement has to be started today, or else, the entire Haryana will be jammed tomorrow."

At 7.44pm, Kurukshetra SP Surinder Singh said, "The talks with farmers are still ongoing and they have not opened the highway blockade till now."
BKU Charuni spokesman Rakesh Bains said at 8.05pm, "Until the government does not start paddy procurement, we will not lift blockade from the highway."
Speaking to the media, Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal said on Friday,"Official paddy procurement starts from October 1, as per instructions of the Centre government. The government is ready to start procurement."