Karnal, Oct. 14 -- The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has announced to lock the offices of market committees across Haryana on Wednesday to protest the state government's alleged failure to purchase paddy. The decision was made at a meeting held by farmer leaders at Kisan Bhawan in Karnal. Those who were present included BKU's north Haryana in-charge Mahtab Kadyan, BKU state president Ratan Mann, state organisation secretary Shyam Singh Mann, spokesperson Surender Sangwan, and Kisan Sabha's Ashok Arora. Ratan Mann said that due to the difficulties surrounding paddy procurement, protests and subsequent lockouts would be staged at all market committees in the state from 11am to 2pm. He said that besides failing to ensure proper paddy procurement, the BJP government has harmed farmers by imposing various restrictive conditions on the purchasing process. "The government intends to push farmers toward debt and ultimately out of farming. If the state government does not heed these concerns, further agitations will be announced," he added. Meanwhile, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni visited Jhundla mandi in Karnal to inspect the purchase process along with his office-bearers and district unit. Charuni said that unseasonal rain on Sunday damaged the crop in the mandis and the fields alike. "When the crop reaches the mandi, this should be the government's responsibility to ensure that there is no loss to the crop or the farmer. Overall, the situation at the mandis is worse this year. The lifting is very slow and the authorities are buying crops for less than the MSP," he alleged.htc...