SANGRUR, April 15 -- Farmers of Sangrur and Barnala on Tuesday claimed delays in wheat procurement and lack of basic amenities in the mandis, a charge denied by the government officials responsible for management at the grain markets.

Gurbaksh Singh, a farmer, said that the officials are just making excuses. "The entire crop isn't ruined, nor is there a quality loss. We are battling the weather on one hand and mismanagement on the other. No one is listening to us," he said, adding that even basic facilities, such as drinking water, are unavailable in the Majhi mandi (grain market) of Sangrur.

Balkaur Singh, another farmer at the Barnala grain market, also voiced similar concerns. In Bhawanigarh of Sangrur, farmers staged a protest outsi...