Chandigarh: Farmers in Mukerian, Punjab, held a protest outside a non-operational sugar mill and blocked the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway on Friday, demanding that the government immediately start crushing sugarcane, reported Hindustan Times.
The demonstration, led by farmer leader Satnam Singh Baghria, conveyed that the protest would persist until an official notification authorising the mills to resume operations is issued.
Several farmer unions, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (Azad), Pagri Sambhal Lehar, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), Doaba Kisan Welfare Committee, and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, had jointly called for the highway blockade. This decision followed numerous ultimatums presented to the state government, as highlighted by Baghria.
Expressing frustration over the non-functional sugar mills, Baghria stated that despite the state government’s assurance to resume operations by November 5, the mills remained inactive. He emphasized that this delay was resulting in financial losses for growers and could adversely affect the upcoming wheat crop sowing.
Gurpartap Singh, a leader of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), asserted that the farmers were left with no choice but to block traffic, placing the responsibility for the inconvenience caused to the public squarely on the government.
