Kurukshetra – Wednesday marked the second straight day of state‑run paddy procurement, yet a large share of cultivators remained entangled in the red‑tape of gate‑pass clearance. Officials reported that 6,997 metric tonnes of paddy were bought at just 13 of the 22 mandis operating in the district.
Hunger Strike Ignites at Thanesar Market
Fed up with the standstill, former Kaithla Khurd village sarpanch Rajendra Singh began an open‑ended fast outside the Thanesar Market Committee. He was soon accompanied by members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who staged a day‑long rally to amplify their grievances.
Singh told reporters that his harvested grain had been sitting idle in the market for about ten days, and that he had been making daily trips to the committee for the past four days in pursuit of a gate‑pass. He questioned why farmers should shoulder administrative delays that stem from government‑run crop verification.
Authorities Vow Prompt 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 holding had finally been completed, promising that no further hurdles would be imposed.
Nevertheless, farmer representatives warned that such chokepoints have become a seasonal fixture, forcing growers to wrestle with basic procurement services year after year. The demonstration lingered well into the night.
Wider Significance
The incident highlights the mounting difficulties faced by farmers as the state intensifies its paddy procurement drive. Persistent problems with crop verification and the compulsory gate‑pass regime are fueling unrest, underscoring the urgent need for a more efficient, farmer‑centric system.