Paddy procurement in Punjab, Haryana to start from today: Govt

Central govt had postponed start of procurement of paddy & millet due to delay in monsoon, says Haryana CM; Channi urges Rly Board Chairman to withdraw cases against farmer orgs

Takeaways

• Farmers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday held protests at many places against postponing paddy procurement. Apprehending law and order disruption, heavy police deployment was made outside the residences of Khattar in Karnal, Chautala in Sirsa, and others in their respective constituencies

• The Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed that Channi has requested the Chairman of the Railway Board to take a sympathetic view and consider the withdrawal of cases against the farmer organisations

CHANDIGARH: Hours after farmers started gathering outside Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s house and residences of other MPs and MLAs to protest the Centre’s decision to delay paddy procurement, the CM said the process will commence from October 3.

The announcement came after Khattar, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Agriculture minister J P Dalal reached New Delhi along with a battery of top government officials to seek a solution to the mounting pressure from the farmers. Before leaving for the national Capital, Khattar had said: “Farmers will not have to face any problem in paddy procurement.”

Farmers in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday held protests at many places against postponing paddy procurement. Apprehending law and order disruption, heavy police deployment was made outside the residences of Khattar in Karnal, Chautala in Sirsa and others in their respective constituencies. However, despite heavy police barricading, farmers broke the police cordons and reached outside the main gates of the residences.