BJP MLA SITS ON DHARNA AGAINST CLOSED WHEAT PURCHASE CENTRE

VARANASI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Surendra Singh on Thursday sat on a dharna alleging that government-run wheat purchase centre at Sonbarsa in Ballia district had been closed for the last four days despite orders issued by chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

“The purchase centre is closed for the past four days despite the CM’s order due to which farmers are facing problems. Although the farmers have got their tokens for selling their wheat, they are not able to do it. I have asked the district magistrate several times in this regard no one is ready to hear. I will sit on dharna till it is reopened,” said Singh, who represents Bairia assembly constituency of Ballia.

“Many farmers transported their wheat to the centre but their wheat is not being weighed as the wheat purchasing centre is closed. I visited the centre on Wednesday but it was lying was closed and there was no employee,” the MLA claimed.

The MLA further said that he informed the senior officials, including the district magistrate, about it on Wednesday and asked them to ensure that the centre reopened on Thursday. “But nothing has happened. No official showed any seriousness in solving this problem of farmers. Farmers are my own people. I cannot see them in any problem. It is my duty to get their problems solved. I will keep sitting at the wheat purchase centre until wheat purchasing starts here,” the MLA said.

Moreover, enraged local farmers staged a road blockade at Sonbarasa-Dalanchhapara route for about four hours. The farmers said they would end the roadblock only after the centre reopened.

When contacted, district magistrate Aditi Singh did not reply to the allegations of the ruling party legislator. Sub divisional magistrate, Bairia, Prashant Nayak said action would be taken against the marketing assistant deployed at the centre as he was missing from duty without any information.