farmers

Every year, Punjab employs around 10 lakh migrant labourers to carry out the market operations during Rabi harvest. These labourers generally come in late March and stay on till June to complete the transplantation of paddy.

Some relaxation from the lockdown has been granted to ensure harvesting gets done, along with detailed health guidelines from the ICAR, with the promise that every grain that reaches the market will be procured.

Launched amid much fanfare during the previous political regime, the greenfield Amaravati project has fallen apart. With it have disappeared all promises made to farmers who had pooled in land — rent of Rs. 50,000 per acre for ten years, jobs for family members, reimbursement of children’s education fees etc