Two day grain market bandh in Punjab begins tomorrow

Chandigarh, Apr 16 (UNI) The two-day 'bandh' of all grain markets (mandis) in Punjab begins tomorrow to protest the failure of the Union government to increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat and to tackle the problems of the agricultural sector.

The protest call has been given jointly by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Lakhowal),BKU (Rajewal) and BKU Ekta (Peshoura Singh).The opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which has also been demanding ahike in the MSP, has extended its support to the 'bandh' call.

The Punjab Paledar Union comprising those who work as labourers in the grain markets have extended their support to the bandh call.Commission agents (arhityas) have also come out in support of the bandh call at a number of places the state.

The three Kisan Union's have called upon the farmers of the state not to bring their wheat produce to the grain markets on April 17 and 18 as the government had failed to increase to the MSP of wheat from Rs 650 per quintal.The Kisan unions have also urged the commission agents not to purchase any grain from the markets on these two days.

The Kisan unions have been demanding that the MSP be increased to Rs 950 per quintal as there had been a steep rise in input costs.The bandh is also aimed at showing the solidarity of the farming community against the government's decision to import wheat from abroad rather than compensate their own farmers by increasing the MSP.

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