Protesting cotton farmers block railway traffic in Bhatinda

Bhatinda (Punjab), Dec 31 (ANI): Demanding the minimum support price for their cash crop of cotton, hundreds of farmers in Punjab's Bhatinda district squatted on the railway tracks and blocked train services.

The protest was organised under the aegis of Bharatiya Kisan Union and was supported by another half a dozen fora of farmers.

Cotton is one of the important non-food agricultural and cash crops of Punjab.

Earlier, the Government had announced a 40 per cent hike in minimum support price (MSP) this year from rupees 2,025 to rupees 2,800 per uintal.

The agitating farmers alleged that the Central Government owned Cotton Corporation of India is not buying their cotton at their promised rates.

"We are protesting since the Government is not giving us the amount which it has promised. Earlier, relying on the Government's trust, we had postponed the rail blockage on November 25. Now, we have been forced to stage the protest. We have decided that we won't get up from these railway tracks until our demand for getting rupees 2800 per quintal for our crops have not been fulfilled," said Joginder Singh, a farmer leader.

But due to recession, the market prices of cotton began to slump while the administration is trying to make the farmers understand this negative aspect.

"We are negotiating with the farmers. Farmers are demanding that the Cotton Corporation of India must take their crops at the rate of rupees 2800 per quintal. On the other hand, the CCI is saying that the crops which don't come under specifications can't be bought for rupees 2800. We are trying to explain to the farmers that we will ensure rupees 2800 for the lot which comes under specification and for the cotton which doesn't come in this slot, the farmers have to understand," said Rahul Tiwari, Deputyommissioner of Bhatinda.

Over the past decade, thousands of cotton farmers, particularly in the Vidarbha region, committed suicide due to indebtedness. (ANI)