Farmers observe bandh in Bela mandal over soybean procurement
Farmers observed a day-long bandh in Bela mandal of Adilabad district demanding government procurement of soybeans. Protesters blocked the Bela-Maharashtra highway, while shops remained shut in solidarity. The bandh passed off peacefully with police deployment
Adilabad: Farmers observed a day-long bandh demanding the government procure soybeans across Bela mandal on Monday.
Led by different organisations, farmers blocked traffic on the Bela-Maharashtra inter-State highway, causing inconvenience to motorists for some time. They raised slogans criticising the government for showing negligence in purchasing soy produce from growers. They withdrew their protest after police advised them to bring the issue to the notice of the concerned officials.
The growers said they were facing inconvenience due to the delay in procuring soybeans. They stated that they were forced to pay additional interest on loans availed from moneylenders. They said they had shifted the produce to market yards and were waiting for officials to purchase the beans.
Meanwhile, commercial establishments voluntarily remained closed and expressed solidarity with the farmers’ protest. The bandh passed off peacefully. Police were deployed to prevent untoward incidents in Bela mandal centre following the protest.
