Kurukshetra – Wednesday marked the second back‑to‑back day of paddy buying in the district, yet a sizable number of cultivators remained entangled in the red‑tape of gate‑pass clearance. District officials reported that 6,997 metric tonnes of paddy were purchased at 13 of the 22 operating grain markets.
Hunger Strike Erupts at Thanesar Market
Exasperated by the standstill, former sarpanch of Kaithla Khurd, Rajendra Singh, began an open‑ended hunger strike outside the Thanesar Market Committee. He was soon joined by members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh) who organized a day‑long sit‑in to press their grievances.
Singh recounted that his harvested crop had been sitting idle in the market for about ten days, and that he had been making daily trips to the committee over the past four days to obtain a gate‑pass. He questioned why farmers should shoulder administrative delays when crop verification is a governmental duty.
Officials Assure Prompt 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 holding had finally been completed, promising that no further hurdles would arise.
Nevertheless, farmer representatives warned that such bottlenecks have become a seasonal norm, forcing growers to fight for basic procurement services year after year. The demonstration continued well into the night.
Wider Consequences
The incident highlights the mounting challenges faced by cultivators as the state intensifies its paddy procurement drive. Ongoing issues with crop verification and the compulsory gate‑pass system are fuelling dissent, underscoring the urgent need for a more streamlined, farmer‑centric process.