Tribune press service

Baghapurana (Moga), April 5

Revolted against the Center over the direct payment to farmers for the purchase of food grains, the arhtiyas in association with the farmers’ unions decided to intensify their protests against the three agricultural laws.

Speaking to the “mandi bachao mahasammelan” in Moga on Monday, the president of the association of arhtiyas, Vijay Kalra, said that the arhtiyas in Punjab would boycott the markets completely from April 10, if the balance of Rs 131 crore did not theirs was not paid by the Food Corporation. of India (FCI). “We will not take wheat from the markets until the balance payment has been settled,” he said.

Workers will lose their jobs and government revenues

There are four lakh labores in the mandis. They will lose their jobs. The state government will lose the mandi fee and rural development funds. It will have an impact on development in rural areas. —Balbir Singh Rajewal, President of BKU (Rajewal)

Given the turmoil from farmers and arhtiyas, the Punjab government has already postponed the purchase of wheat from April 1 to April 10. A total of 130 lakh tonnes of wheat is expected to arrive at mandis, which is purchased at minimum price (MSP). All procurement is done through the arhtiyas and in return they receive a commission of 2.5%.

The Arhtiyas are in danger of losing their foothold because the previous farmers obtained money from them after deducting the loan amount. The Arhtiyas believe that if the farmers receive the money directly into their accounts, they will have to visit them to collect the loan.

Taking on the FCI’s directive to farmers to give details of their land, Kalra urged farmers not to give a jambandi (land register) to a food supply agency.

Association vice president Amarjit Singh said it was virtually impossible for farmers to provide land records as nearly 50% of them practice contract farming on land owned by NRIs. settled abroad. “The problem is that the online payment will go to the accounts of the original landowners and not to the farmers,” he said.

Ruldu Singh Mansa, president of the Punjab Kisan Union, said the bond between the arhtiyas and the farmers was very strong. “The social and economic relationship between them is at the basis of the very existence of poor and marginal peasants; therefore, we cannot afford to lose it at all costs, ”he said. Dr Satnam Singh Ajnala, President, Jamhuri Kisan Sabha; Paramjeet Kaur, leader, Mazdoor Mukti Morcha; Gurnam Singh Chaduni, President of BKU (Haryana); and Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, President, Kirti Kisan Union, among others, supported the arhtiyas’ request.