COURTESY HT DEC 24

Cotton purchase in Punjab affected by arhtiyas’ strike
HT Correspondents

letterschd@hindustantimes.com

BATHINDA/sangrur/karnal : The ongoing strike by arthiyas (commission agents) has impacted the purchase of cotton by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) as the farmers have responded to their protest call against income tax raids.

Officials said nearly 22,000 quintal cotton was purchased in various districts of Punjab on Wednesday whereas CCI had bought 37,000 quintals of raw cotton the previous day.

The CCI buys produce directly from farmers and the arthiyas have no role in the entire exercise.

CCI assistant general manager and Punjab in-charge Neeraj Kumar said maximum procurement of 7,000 quintal was done in Muktsar followed by 6,000 quintal in Bathinda, 4,500 quintal in Fazilka and 2,500 quintal in Mansa district.

The agency would continue operations and the strike would have no impact on the purchase by the CCI, he added.

Of the 27 lakh quintal cotton purchased so far, CCI has bought more than 20 lakh from various districts.

Minister Singla sits on one-day hunger strike

Punjab school education minister Vijay Inder Singla on Wednesday observed one-day hunger strike at the grain market in Sangrur against the three farm laws and income tax raids on arhtiyas (commission agents) in the state.

Singla along with arhtiyas raised slogans against the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre seeking repeal of the laws.

“The Congress government in Punjab has negated the anti-farmer laws but the governor did not pursue the case with the President. The procurement process gives employment to various sections of the society but the central government was trying to break this economic cycle,” he said. “The IT raids are a result of the BJP’s frustration as it failed to divide the farmers and commission agents in Punjab,” he added.

Haryana association slams IT raids

Agitated over raids and notices being served by the income tax department to commission agents, the Haryana State Anaj Mandi Arhtiya Association has decided to observe one-day strike on December 25.

All members of the association have decided to keep their shops shut and there will be no trade in mandis of the state. The commission agents will also hold protests in the grain markets.

Ashok Gupta, president of the Haryana Arhtiya Association, said since the government has failed to create a rift between farmers and commission agents to suppress the agitation, it is now adopting cheap tactics to harass commission agents by conducting income tax raids. He said the ahrtiyas will continue to support the farmers in their agitation.

Vikash Singhal, state secretary of the arhtiya association, said some commission agents from Haryana were also served notice from the income tax department without any irregularity. The commission agents have termed the IT notices as a pressure tactic of the Union government to end the agitation