Angry over the Centre’s decision to delay paddy procurement in Punjab and Haryana by 10 days, the farmers on the call given by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Friday, gheraoed the residence of Punjab Minister Pargat Singh today at Punjabi Bagh locality here in Jalandhar.
The nine-member committee of the SKM which decided this move had asked the farmers to continue protesting outside MLA and Ministers houses till the government starts paddy procurement.
The farmers in large number gathered outside Education and Sports Minister Pargat Singh and raised slogans against Congress government while demanding immediate start of the procurement process in Punjab and compensation for the loss in cotton crop due to heavy rain.
Heavy police force was deployed outside Pargat Singh’s house to avoid any untoward situation.
Meanwhile, the farmers said that this demonstration is against centre and state government. They can’t keep farmers waiting. They said that the mandis in some districts are seeing a surge in paddy arrivals. “It is totally unfair to keep farmers waiting in mandis. This is just another way of harassing farmers who have been agitating against the Centre over three farm laws”.
Protesting farmers also said as they couldn’t find Pargat Singh at his residence at Punjabi Bagh here, and learnt that he was at Circuit House, therefore, a group of farmers also reached Circuit house to gherao the minister.
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Besides, CM Charanjit Singh Channi also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and had requested him to intervene and advise the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to immediately withdraw its letter regarding the same.