Cotton farmers stage protest over market closure, traffic hit

Several farmers today staged a rasta roko on the Khandwa-Baroda state highway near here after they found the cotton market (mandi) closed, a day after high denomination notes in the country were withdrawn.
The blockade caused traffic snarls on the state highway (SH-26) for around three hours and the road was cleared after the district Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Singh and other officials reached the spot and held talks with the farmers.
The farmers had come to the government-controlled mandi carrying cotton bales in their vehicles and bullock carts. However, they lost their cool when they found the market shut.

"Had we been informed that the mandi was going to be closed today in the wake of demonetisation of notes, we would not have spent money on the transportation of cotton," said Chandrakant Yadav, a farmer from Dasnaval village.
Several farmers then kept their produce with some traders at the market following police intervention before returning home. "The traders assured the farmers of payment in a couple of days," Yadav added.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement about demonetising Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes, Madhya Pradesh government had last night announced that all the mandis in the state will remain closed on November 9, to avoid inconvenience to farmers due to the demonetisation of some currency notes.