Kurukshetra – The district witnessed a repeat of procurement bottlenecks on Wednesday, marking a second straight day where many rice growers wrestled with the red‑tape of obtaining gate‑passes. Government records show that 6,997 metric tonnes of paddy were bought, but only at 13 of the 22 operational grain markets.
Hunger Strike Erupts at Thanesar Market
Fed up with the stalemate, former sarpanch of Kaithla Khurd, Rajendra Singh, began an indefinite hunger strike outside the Thanesar Market Committee. Soon after, members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Shaheed Bhagat Singh joined him, staging a day‑long rally to press for immediate action.
Singh recounted that his harvested crop had been sitting idle in the market for about ten days. For the past four days he had been making daily trips to the committee, seeking a gate‑pass, and questioned why farmers should shoulder administrative delays that stem from government‑run crop verification.
Authorities Vow Faster Verification
Efforts to calm the situation continued throughout the afternoon. Thanesar MLA Ashok Arora visited the protest site in the evening, and Market Committee Secretary Harjit Singh later announced that the verification of Singh’s 14‑acre parcel was finally concluded, promising that no further hurdles would be imposed.
Despite the announcement, farmer representatives warned that such procedural choke‑points have become a seasonal pattern, forcing cultivators to fight for basic procurement services year after year. The demonstration carried on well into the night.
Wider Significance
This incident highlights the escalating challenges faced by farmers as the state intensifies its paddy procurement drive. Ongoing disputes over crop verification and the mandatory gate‑pass system underscore the urgent need for a more streamlined, farmer‑centric process.
