Sanawad (Madhya Pradesh): Over 200 farmers, who were victims of a massive Rs 4.5 crore fraud, besieged the Krishi Upaj Mandi office on Monday. The farmers, demanding written assurance from the market officer for the timely payment of their dues, sat at the market gate and raised slogans.
The absence of the market secretary prolonged the protest for about seven hours, effectively bringing market operations to a standstill. Amidst the agitation, the farmers called upon MLA Sachin Birla, who arrived at the scene around 3:30 pm. Engaging in discussions with the Mandi secretary and higher officials in Bhopal, the MLA addressed the farmers' grievances.
The farmers emphasised their demand for Mandi accountability, stating that since the produce was sold to a registered trader within the market premises, the market must ensure they receive their due payments.
Understanding their plight, MLA Sachin Birla assured the farmers that arrangements would be made for cash payments to prevent further fraud. He committed to taking a delegation of 200 farmers to Bhopal to meet with the Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister to secure their payments.
Moreover, the MLA announced that senior Mandi officials from Bhopal would visit Sanawad on July 1 to discuss the resolution of the payment issue at the Agricultural Produce Market office. Following the MLA's assurances, the farmers agreed to postpone their agitation.
However, municipality representative and farmer leader Inder Birla warned of a more intense agitation if the farmers did not receive their payments. Earlier, station in-charge Indresh Tripathi and naib tehsildar Praveen Singh arrived at Changar Mandi to manage the situation.
This protest comes in the wake of grain trader Anil Malakar absconding after purchasing gram produce worth Rs 4.5 crore from about 200 farmers. Farmer leaders Rameshwar Gurjar, Vijay Chaudhary, Shriram Sankadiya, Sitaram Ingla, and Udit Nandia were present during the protest, supporting the farmers' demands for justice.
