PUNJAB:Farmers block roads, squat on railway tracks to protest 'tardy' paddy procurement

LUDHIANA/HOSHIARPUR/AMRITSAR: 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.

- PTI

While the Samyukta Kisan Morcha had given a call for a statewide road blockade from 12 to 3 pm, the Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) had also given a call for 'rail roko' for three hours. As farmers blocked roads at several places including national highways, commuters faced inconvenience. Police, however, had diverted road traffic through alternative routes.

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said they held their 'rail roko' protest at 17 places including Batala, Shahkot (Jalandhar), Bathinda, Ajitwal (Moga), Wallah Phatak (Amritsar), Patti (Tarn Taran), Malout (Muktsar), Jalalabad (Fazilka), Kotakpura (Faridkot), Mansa, Dhablan (Patiala), Sunam (Sangrur), Malerkotla, Qila Raipur (Ludhiana) Lalru (Mohali), Talwandi Bhai (Ferozepur) and Mandiala (Hoshiarpur).