Chandigarh: Farmer unions have deferred their three-hour ‘rail roko’ (rail blockade) protest in Punjab, which was scheduled for Friday, following official assurance over streamlining wheat procurement.
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the decision to defer the protest was taken during an online meeting with Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and Azad Kisan Morcha (AKM) leaders.
The agitation was announced in protest of alleged tardy procurement of wheat owing to damage to grains caused by the recent untimely rainfall.
Pandher said the Punjab chapter of KMM, five unions under SKM, and AKM had called the rail blockade.
He said the farmers’ bodies are demanding relaxation in wheat procurement specifications as damage was caused to grains on account of rainfall, resulting in loss of lusture.
The farmer leaders said government officials have assured that procurement arrangements will be streamlined soon, adding that the process has already begun in several mandis.
Following the assurance, farmer unions have decided to give both Centre and Punjab government three days time to relax procurement norms, they said.
Pandher said while Haryana and Rajasthan have already secured relaxations pertaining to wheat procurement from the Centre in view of damage to grains, the Punjab government delayed making such a request to the Centre.
“Punjab chief minister wrote to Centre after we announced our ‘rail roko’ protest. Haryana and Rajasthan had written much earlier,” Pandher said.
