Angry Punjab farmers Hold Protest, Dump Potatoes on Roads ...

Scores of farmers  staged a protest demonstration, blocked road at Chowk Nawan Shehr and demanded support price for potato like Sugar industry for its export to Central Asia states.
The protesters, who had gathered under the flag of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad, blocked the Abdali Road in front of the Multan Press Club and chanted anti-government slogans.
PKI Vice President Muhammad Sajid Bodla said the condition of farmers in Punjab was worsening day by day while those sitting in the corridors of powers were least concerned about their plight. He said the [potato] price in the market was far less than the expenditure incurred on cultivation and farmers had no choice except to dispose of the crop.
He and other speakers demanded that the government announce support price for potato to save farmers and their families from starvation.
They also threatened to launch province-wide protest from Jan 15 if their demand was not fulfilled. On the assurance of the district administration, the protesters dispersed. Protest rallies were also organised in different parts of South Punjab and Lahore to draw the attention of PTI government towards the miserable condition of farmers who are unable to earn even their invested money.
In Sahiwal, growers set crop ablaze, threaten to stage sit-in in Islamabad
In Sahiwal, around five dozens farmers participated in the protest held on the call of the PKI local chapter. They also staged a sit-in at DC office, Pakpattan. The protesters were chanting slogans against the PTI provincial and federal governments for not evolving pro-farmer policies even after a lapse of four months. A group of farmers set potatoes ablaze on the road.
PKI District President Chaudhry Sabir Niyaaz told this correspondent on phone that the federal government had given Rs7 billion subsidy to sugar millers. He demanded [potato] support price.
PKI Punjab President Chaudhry Rizwan Iqbal has threatened to stage a sit-in at Parliament House, Islamabad, on Jan 15 if their demand was not met.

Several Punjab farmers gathered at Mohali to continue their protest for a second straight day on Tuesday.

The farmers were denied entry to Chandigarh on Monday where they planned a protest outside Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s residence. 
The agitation saw the farmers dump potatoes on roads demanding remunerative price of their crop. Farmers were also seen wearing strings of potatoes in their neck.

Addressing the issue and unfulfilled demands of the farmers, Harinder Singh Lakhowal, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) general secretary, said, “There are no buyers of potatoes in Punjab which is leading to economic crisis. Hence, the farmers are left with no option except dumping the potatoes on the roads.” 

Lakhowal also highlighted that the potato growers are suffering ‘huge loss as there is no buyer’. 

He told CNN-News18, “Yesterday, a ten-member delegation of farmer met Captain Amarinder Singh’s chief principal secretary – Suresh Kumar who assured us of our demands being considered in the Cabinet meeting.” 

“But we’ll not end the protest unless our demands are met. We have informed farmers in all the villages of Punjab. They’ll start gathering in a large number tomorrow at Mohali,” he added. 

However, after Lakhowal spoke to CNN-News18, the protest was ultimately forcefully called off by the police in the evening who detained all the farmers. 

The protest lasted entire day and caused discomfort to the commuters and the residents of that area. Most two-wheelers slipped as the roads turned slippery after mass dumping of potatoes. Some of them who fell from the two-wheeler also got injured.