Punjab: Marginal farmer Harvinder Singh of Rajpura is spending sleepless nights at the grain market waiting for the procurement of his crop. “I am feeling like a homeless person. Apart from guarding the crop, farmers are constantly being told about the high moisture content in their crop,” Harvinder said. He requested an artiya (commission agent) to allow his elderly father to use the toilet for a few days as he has a urinary infection. “We eat and sleep on trailers due to the excess paddy in the mandis,” he said. Jagtar Singh Matara of Nadampur village said he has spent six days at the grain market. “Earlier there was no proper place to dry paddy. Now the procurement process is slow.
After waiting for two days, I have come to the grain market with my charpai and utensils,” he said. Another farmer Hardeep Singh, 53, and his daughter have spent three days at the Pataran grain market. She has come with her father as he has a heart ailment. “Bad weather at night has affected our harvest,” he said. “Initially, the problem was noticed when rice millers completely refused to take the stock. Except for those farmers who do not bring their crop as per the acceptable moisture, there is no problem,” a senior official said. The lifting needs to be done as soon as possible as more paddy will arrive in the mandis around Diwali, an official said. Meanwhile, the police are on alert and keeping an eye on the protesting farmers. “Instructions have been given to keep guard near the mandis,” a DSP rank official said.
