Kurukshetra – Wednesday marked the second straight day of state‑run paddy procurement, yet a large chunk of farmers remained entangled in the red‑tape of gate‑pass clearance. Officials disclosed that a cumulative 6,997 metric tonnes of rice were purchased at only 13 of the 22 operational grain markets in the district.
Hunger Strike Ignites at Thanesar Market
Exasperated by the standstill, former Kaithla Khurd village sarpanch Rajendra Singh began an indefinite hunger strike outside the Thanesar Market Committee. He was soon backed by members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who organized a full‑day rally to amplify their grievances.
Singh recounted that his harvested paddy had been sitting idle in the market for roughly ten days, and that he had been making daily trips to the committee over the past four days to secure a gate‑pass. He questioned why administrative inertia should penalise farmers when crop verification is a governmental duty.
Officials Vow Faster Verification
Efforts to calm the situation persisted 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 plot had finally been completed, promising that no further hurdles would arise.
Nonetheless, farmer representatives warned that such procedural choke‑points have become a seasonal fixture, forcing cultivators to fight for basic procurement services year after year. The demonstration continued well into the night.
Wider Ramifications
The incident highlights the mounting difficulties farmers face as the state accelerates its paddy procurement drive. Persistent issues around crop verification and the compulsory gate‑pass system are fueling dissent, underscoring the urgency for a more streamlined, farmer‑centric process.