The City Headlines
Ludhiana, October 2
The Central government gave orders to start paddy procurement in Punjab and Haryana from October 3. Earlier, the Central Government had given orders to start the process from October 11. Usually, it starts from October 1 every year. However, the government had delayed it because of the untimely showers in both the agrarian states in the second fortnight of September.
Because of the delay, protests from farmers at several places in Punjab and Haryana were witnessed. They demanded an immediate start of the procurement process.
On October 1, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed to him to give orders to start paddy procurement.
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Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also met the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey and discussed the issue.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in huge numbers outside Khattar’s residence in Karnal and broke police barricades.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said that widespread rainfall experienced across Punjab and Haryana in the second fortnight of September have affected the paddy crop in both the states, that is why the procurement was delayed.
