Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has appealed to protesting farmers’ unions to not block roads and approach the state government with their grievances. Taking to X, Mann wrote, “My request to the farmers’ unions is not to turn the common people against you by blocking the roads for everything. To talk to the government, Chandigarh’s Punjab Bhawan, Secretariat, the office of the Minister of Agriculture and my office are at home, not on the roads. If this attitude remains then the day is not far when you will not find people for picketing. Understand people’s feelings.”
Farmers have been protesting at 34 locations across Punjab since 20th November demanding the withdrawal of FIRs filed against stubble burning and seeking a long-term solution for paddy straw. Eighteen farmer unions reportedly arrived at the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates with trollies filled with paddy stubble as a sign of protest.
In Jalandhar, farmers led by the Bharti Kisan Union (Doaba) blocked a stretch of the Jalandhar-Ludhiana highway including the service lanes. A total of 22 unions have joined the protest, according to Amar Ujala. The farmers have also been demanding that the government announce the price of sugarcane yields.
Farm union leader Balwinder Singh has warned the state government that if their demands are not met then a permanent demonstration will be staged. The protesting farmers have appealed to citizens to take an alternative route and have also announced that they will block railway tracks.
Meanwhile, the administration is engaged in diverting traffic and has urged citizens to venture out by taking the blockade into account. In view of the inconvenience caused to the common people, the Punjab CM has called on the farmers to not block the roads.
The soaring air quality index in the national capital has been attributed to the large-scale stubble burning, mostly in Punjab. Satellite images released from NASA showed severe stubble burning in Punjab owing to which the authorities were directed to take action against such farmers who were breaching permissible levels.
FIRs were also filed against such farmers while others were penalised.