After HC order, farmers shift protest venue to grain market
Farmers, who want increase in MSP of sugarcane from ₹300 to ₹350 per quintal, had earlier planned to block JalandharPhagwara highway
PHAGWARA : Farmer unions cancelled their plan to block the national highway( NH )1 in Ph agwar a on Wednesday. But protested at Ph ag war a grain market here for five hours.
The move came after strict directions issued by the Punjab and Ha ryan a high court to J aland ha randKap ur th ala police to prevent the farmer unions from blocking the highway on Wednesday.
Thousands of farmers led by Doaba Sangharsh Committee along with other farmer unions had decided to block the highway a few days ago.
Farmers are demanding an increase in minimum support price (MSP) of sugarcane from ₹300 to ₹350 per quintal and early procurement of CO 0238 type of sugar cane, which is usually lifted in January every year.
Harman Sing hS idhu, president of N GO Arrive Safe Society, Chandigarh had filed a petition against the roadblock call by farmer unions before the high court.
As per the petition, it was requested to the district authorities ofKap ur th ala and J alan dh ar to protect life, liberty and property of the public and those who com mute through NH 1, par ti cu- larly from Chaheru Bridge, GT Road. Following this, police forces were deployed on the highway.
Sources said, the police had approached the farmer union representatives on Tuesday night and convinced them to not block the highway in wake of the court’s orders.
Following this, the farmers only protested at the grain market in Phagwara. Punjab Doaba Sang harsh Committee president Manje et Sing hR ai said, a memorandum was submitted to the Kapurthala deputy commissioner Mohammad Tayyab.
Rai appealed to the farmers to take up their demands before Capt Amarinder Singh.
He said that they will announce their further course of action if their demands are not considered.
Deputy inspector general (DIG) J ask ar an Sing ha long with Kapurthala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar S harm a also reviewed the security arrangements and interacted with the farmers.
SUGAR MILLOWNERS SEEK NO HIKEI N CANE PRICES
Claiming that any increase in state advised price (SAP) of sugarcane above the current rate of Rs 300 per quint al, will make their bus in es sun viable, sugar producers of Punjab has sought no increase in the SAP. SAP is the price at which mill owners buy sugarcane from farmers.
Ran a In der Par tap Singh, who runs a sugar mill in Amritsar, who addressed a press conference, jointly with other owners of other sugar mills in the state, said, “We are already paying Rs 45 more than the Fixed Remunerative Price (FRP) of Rs 255 per quintal that the centre has decided.”
Rajinder Singh Raju Chadha, who owns Dasuya sugar mill, said ,“With the rise in production, sugar prices are expected to fall. We are incurring huge losses, as a quintal of sugar is selling for Rs 3,550 per quintal, while our cost is Rs 4,100 per quint al .” Rana Inderbi rs aid lots of sugar was imported from Pakistan, the landing cost of which was Rs 3,650 per quint al .“We are not demanding FRP fixed by the Centre, because cane prices cannot be reduced, but to save sugar mill owners cane prices should not be increased beyond the existing price,” he added.