Punjab Farmers

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Monday slammed the Centre, accusing it of being "indifferent" to the genuine demands of farmers and leaving them "high and dry on the roads". Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open channels of communication with the protesting farmers, Sandhwan stressed that the Centre must take decisive action and resolve the farmers' issues without dragging its feet. "It was a bitter pill for Punjab's farmers to swallow, being left high and dry on the roads, while the Union government remained indifferent," said Sandhwan in a statement. He said in other countries, including those in Europe, farmers can take their issues straight to their parliaments, whereas Indian farmers are given "the cold shoulder" when they raise valid concerns. The Speaker reminded the Centre that the country's farmers not only put food on the table for millions but also serve as the backbone of India's trade, industry, and economy by producing a variety of crops. He ca

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to immediately clear blockades on national and state highways in Punjab where farmers are staging protests. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Manmohan said the matter is already pending before the court and it cannot entertain repetitive petitions on the same issue. "We are already examining the larger issue. You are not the only conscience keeper of society. Don't file repetitive petitions. Some are filing for publicity interest and some are filing to play to the gallery. We cannot entertain repetitive petitions on the same issue," the bench told petitioner Gaurav Luthra, who claimed to be a social activist in Punjab. The court also refused Luthra's request to tag the petition with the pending matter. Farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since

Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh committee and Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) took part in the protest

Tikait said the government should tell the farmers, what should they do about stubble

Punjab farmers on Sunday blocked roads and squatted on rail tracks at many places in the state as part of their protest against the alleged tardy procurement of paddy in the ongoing Kharif marketing season. While the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has given a call for a statewide road blockade from 12 to 3 pm, the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) has also given a call for 'rail roko' for three hours. Police diverted road traffic through alternative routes. In Ludhiana, farmers disrupted road traffic at many places, including Samrala, Kohara, Khanna, Raikot, Doraha, Payal and Jagraon. Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said despite assurances by the state government regarding the smooth procurement of paddy, farmers are facing problems in grain markets. In Amritsar, protesting farmers squatted on Wallha railway crossing to protest against the slow purchase of the paddy crop. Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Parminder Singh Ugrah said farmers have blocked the Amritsar-Pathankot rail track. Far

Farmers, millers, and arhtiyas in Punjab will hold a statewide 'chakka jam' on Sunday between 12PM to 3 pm, protesting delays in paddy procurement and lifting, causing traffic disruptions

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said the state's agriculture policy is almost ready and his government will call stakeholders for further consultation. The statement came amid a protest by the Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) and the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union which are pressing for the implementation of the agriculture policy. Participating in the discussion on the concluding day of the three-day Punjab Assembly session, Mann said the agriculture policy is almost ready. "We will speak to stakeholders, (farmers) unions and organisations related to farming in this regard," he said in the state assembly. Mann said his government always supports that policies should be framed with the consultation of stakeholders, unlike the Union government which introduces its policies without applying mind and consulting the people. He cited the example of the three farm laws which were later withdrawn by the BJP-led government at the Centre after protests by the farming community. Fa

Apart from western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, poll-bound Haryana has been one of the centres of the farmers' protests. Polling in Haryana is scheduled for October 1

As Centre proposes purchase of alternative crops at MSP, a look at why Punjab farmers are reluctant to diversify

Farmers protest latest news: Centre has estimated that nearly 14,000 people have gathered along the Punjab-Haryana border with 1,200 tractor-trolleys, 300 cars, 10 mini-buses as well as small vehicles

"The discussions went on for five hours. I talked about the benefits for Punjab. We had asked for an MSP guarantee on the purchase of pulses, which was discussed today," Mann said

The suspension of internet services has been extended in certain areas of some Punjab districts, including Patiala, Sangrur and Fatehgarh Sahib, till February 24 on the orders of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Earlier, the internet services were suspended from February 12 till 16 in view of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march. According to the ministry's February 16 order, internet services will remain suspended in areas falling under Shambhu, Julkan, Passian, Patran, Shatrana, Samana, Ghanaur, Devigarh and Balbhera police stations in Patiala; Lalru police station in Mohali; Sangat police station in Bathinda; Killianwali police station in Muktsar; Sardulgarh and Boha police stations in Mansa; and Khanauri, Moonak, Lehra, Sunam and Chajli police stations in Sangrur; and areas under Fatehgarh Sahib police station. The Centre used its special powers under the Telegraph Act of 1885 to suspend internet services in these areas of Punjab. "In exercise of the power conferred by section 7

The farmers have been massing at the Punjab-Haryana border since Feb. 12, prevented from marching toward Delhi by police barricades of barbed wire and metal barriers.

Protesting farmers will stay put at the two borders of Punjab and Haryana over their various demands as the deadlock persisted despite the third round of talks with a panel of Union ministers. A five-hour meeting, which started around 8:45 pm on Thursday, between three Union ministers and the farmer leaders remained inconclusive. The two sides will now meet on February 18 for the fourth round of talks. The two previous rounds of dialogue on February 8 and 12 also remained inconclusive. Union Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Minister Arjun Munda, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai represented the Centre at Thursday's meeting over the farmer unions' various demands, including a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema also joined the meeting at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here. The Samyu

Data on the number of farmers isn't comparable as no record was maintained before 2015-16

Farmers' protest: Videos emerged on social media, showing protestors throwing barricades down from the flyover at Shambhu on the Punjab-Haryana border on Tuesday

Unanticipated drop in kinnow rates amid a bumper yield has left growers of the fruit in Punjab staring at very poor gains. Farmers said they are getting Rs 6-10 per kg for their kinnow crop, a steep decline as compared to Rs 20-25 per kg they got last year. They rued that at the current rate, they are not able to recover their input cost, and sought from the government to fix a minimum price for the fruit crop. After two years of low yield because of unexpected high temperatures during the flowering stage of the crop, Punjab is set to achieve a bumper crop this season. Punjab, a major grower of kinnow in the country, is expected to achieve an output of 13.50 lakh metric tonne this season, as against 12 lakh MT in the last season. A total area of 47,000 hectares were brought under the kinnow crop this season. Harvesting of kinnow -- a hybrid between king and willow leaf mandarins -- starts in December and goes on till February-end in Punjab. Abohar is the leading district in the

Farmers who had gathered at Mohali and Panchkula along Chandigarh's borders on Tuesday ended their three-day protest after their meetings with Punjab and Haryana governors, but warned the Centre of a "bigger agitation" if it does not show "seriousness" towards their pending demands. "This was a trailer," said farmer leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, on the three-day protest. "A bigger agitation will be held if the government does not show seriousness towards our demands," Lakhowal told PTI. He said there are some demands which pertain to the state government which they have separately taken up with it and a meeting in this regard with the chief minister will be held on December 19. Separately, a delegation of farmers from Haryana met Governor Bandaru Dattatreya here concerning various demands. After the meeting, farmer leader Suresh Koth told reporters that they "want to give a clear warning to the government that we have and we can fight for our rights." "If the gover

Farmers from different parts of Punjab Sunday gathered at the Mohali-Chandigarh border under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha, beginning their three-day nationwide protest for a legal guarantee of minimum support price. Heavy security arrangements were made ahead of the protest and traffic diverted to alternative routes on some roads, officials said. Farmers have been demanding the withdrawal of cases filed against them during the 2020-21 stir against the now-repealed farm laws, compensation and jobs for any one of the family members of farmers who died during the stir, debt waiver, and pension. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha is an umbrella body of various farmer unions. Farmers have announced they will march to Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh to give a memorandum of their demands to the Punjab governor. Farmers from many parts of Punjab including Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Sangrur on Sunday began gathering on the Mohali-Chandigarh border along the Phase-11 in Mohali and the IISER chowk road. T

Farmer leaders in Punjab on Wednesday accused the Centre and the state government of not making proper arrangements for stubble management and said it is vehicular and industrial pollution which affects the air quality in Delhi and not farm fire. They also said the governments should guarantee minimum support price on alternative crops such as maize and pulses to wean away growers from the water-guzzling paddy crop, which is not even native to Punjab. Their remarks came a day after the Supreme Court, while hearing a matter related to stubble burning, observed farmers are being made "villains" and that they have not been heard. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia had also suggested why should there be any purchase under the minimum support price (MSP) system from farmers who indulge in crop residue burning, irrespective of the fact that citizens and children were affected due to pollution. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh ...