Strong protest against non-procurement of wheat in Khanna

Khanna,  April 23, 2015: The khanna police stopped a number of commission agents, farmers and labourers of Khanna grain market today when they were marching towards to Railway Station for interrupting the movement the of trains as a mark of protest against the non-procurement of wheat.   

The farmers led by President of the association Khanna Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi and others tried to go to the railway station but they were stopped by the police after barricading the road leading to Railway Station. Due to this protest the commuters going to railway station and adjoining areas had to face difficulties to reach their destinations. 

The protesters raised slogans against the Central Government as well as Punjab Government and warned that they will intensify their struggle tomorrow if their genuine demands are not accepted immediately. 

The protesters alleged that they are fed up with false promises of wheat procurement and said that the officials of procurement agencies are harassing farmers and commission agents without any fault. 

Further, the protesters alleged that there is no procurement from past some days despite false assurances by Local Administration and the farmers are forced to sit in grain market from several days. 

Protestors raised slogans against the State and the Union Governments.

A heavy police force was seen deployed at the dharna venue and senior police officials were present at the site. Later at about 5.50pm SDM Khanna Paramjit Singh reached on the site and assured the protesters of speedy procurement but the protesters offered them for court arrests but the SDM assured them of speedy procurement. After this the protesters lifted  the dharna but warned that they will protest again tomorrow in an intensified manner if the purchase is not started immediately without any reasons.

Hardev Singh Rosha and Kamaljit  Singh Kamma both leaders of the Commission Agents Association said that they have called a meeting tomorrow to chalk out next course of action tomorrow at grain market. 

SP(D) Khanna Satinder Pal Singh, DSP Khanna Harjinder Singh Gill who  were present at the time of Dharna and persuaded the protesters to end Dharna after the assurance of SDM Khanna. SDM Khanna said that he will convey the feelings of protesters to the higher authorities.

Meanwhile, some  farmers and arhtiyas of Doraha today participated jointly in the unsuccessful rail roko protest organized by the farmers and arhtiyas of Khanna, Doraha, Payal, Mehdoodan etc at Khanna. The farmers and arhtiyas alleged that the state government as well as the procurement agencies were simply watching the entire show as mute spectators and doing practically nothing to make the procurement possible. As a result the mandis are gutted with wheat. President Arhtiya Association Doraha S.P.Verma, Vice President Amarjit Singh Kotli and others also participated in the protest.