Haryana farmers staged a protest on National Highway 44 near Kurukshetra’s Shahbad on Tuesday as the government had not purchased their sunflower seeds on the minimum support price (MSP). The protesters were baton-charged by the police to clear the area and water cannons had to be used to disperse the crowd. Hundreds of farmers blocked the national highway in Kurukshetra district demanding the government to procure sunflower seeds on MSP and induct the crop under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.
The state government had previously decided to stop the procurement of sunflower seeds on MSP and procure it under the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana at a rate of Rs 1,000 per quintal. However, the farmers’ delegation led by Haryana BKU-Chaduni chief Gurnam Singh Chaduni had previously met with state Education Minister Kanwar Pal in Chandigarh, who had assured them that he would apprise the Chief Minister on their demands.
The agitated protesters had previously given an ultimatum to the government to withdraw the decision and begin procurement on the MSP, which led to this protest. Chaduni, who led the protest, reiterated that growers would not accept anything less than the MSP and wanted the government to begin procurement at the MSP of Rs 6,400 per quintal.
The protest caused inconvenience to commuters using the highway as police had to divert traffic to keep the situation under control. Their protest led to the traffic being restored on the highway after clearing the blockades. The farmers have been selling their produce at Rs 4,000 per quintal to private buyers, while the MSP for sunflower seeds is Rs 6,400 per quintal.
