Jaipur, May 30 (PTI) Hundreds of farmers demanding an extension of the wheat procurement deadline and an increase in the procurement target held a protest in the Pilibanga town of Hanumangarh district
on Saturday, briefly blocking a railway track, officials said.
The protesters sat on the Bikaner-Hanumangarh rail track for nearly an hour, disrupting movement, before being persuaded by the administration to vacate the track and return to their protest site, they said.
The farmers gathered for a meeting in the morning, and following appeals by their leaders, marched across the road and reached the railway track located about 50 metres away, where they held the sit-in.
Farmers have been protesting for the past two days outside the SDM Office over their demands for an extension of the wheat procurement deadline and an increase in the procurement target. They had also blocked a road on Friday as part of their agitation.
According to the protesters, a large quantity of wheat is still lying in mandis even as the procurement period is nearing its end. They alleged that despite several rounds of talks with the administration, no concrete solution has emerged.
Officials said multiple rounds of discussions were held between the administration and farmer leaders on Thursday and Friday, but the talks remained inconclusive.
Farmer leader Raghuveer Verma said discussions with officials are ongoing, but decisions regarding extension of procurement dates and revision of targets can only be taken at the government level.
"Local officials are only giving assurances, but farmers need an immediate decision," he said.
Farmer organisations and trade bodies have demanded that the procurement period be extended till June 30 to ensure that all produce is purchased.
The protesters also cited issues such as shortage of gunny bags, delays in lifting wheat and problems in slot booking at procurement centres, which they said have worsened the situation. PTI AG
PRK
