Punjab Newsline | Ropar
Farmers staged a protest at the Ropar grain market on Tuesday against a five-kg deduction per quintal being imposed on the procurement of hybrid paddy. As part of their protest, the farmers blocked the Chandigarh-Manali Highway, disrupting traffic for nearly three hours.
The farmers alleged that sheller owners were imposing a condition of deducting five kg of paddy per quintal while purchasing hybrid varieties. Calling the practice a direct exploitation of farmers, they demanded an immediate end to the deduction.
The highway remained blocked for around three hours, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road. After receiving information about the protest, police and administrative officials reached the spot and began talks with the protesting farmers.
The administration assured the farmers that vehicles would be deployed for the lifting of paddy lying at the grain market. However, traffic remained disrupted during a meeting between farmer organisations and officials.
Punjab Morcha convener Gaurav Rana said farmers' crop had been ready for nearly 15 days, but they were now facing difficulties in getting their produce procured. He also questioned the delay in lifting paddy from the grain market.
