A farmers’ protest in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district blocked NH-30 and five other roads on October 10, disrupting traffic between Raipur and Jabalpur and prompting warnings of an indefinite agitation over crop prices, pending payments and stalled irrigation projects.
Hundreds of farmers associated with the Kabirdham unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh blocked the six routes as part of the statewide Balram Kisan Nyay Yatra. The blockade left commuters stranded, delayed emergency services and created traffic congestion along about 20 km of NH-30, according to BKS district prachar pramukh Dinesh Chandravanshi, as reported by the Times of India.
Following protests from local residents over the disruption, the farmers shifted their blockade to Bandhatotal, between Bodla and Chilfi Ghati, on the Jabalpur road. The tractor rally then moved towards the district headquarters, where the group planned to submit a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai through district collector Tulika Prajapati.
BKS leaders warned that the agitation could continue indefinitely if the state government did not respond to their 23-point charter. The immediate disruption placed additional pressure on road authorities and local administration, as the affected routes connect district settlements with larger regional transport links.
Sugarcane pricing is at the centre of the farmers’ demands. The protesters said the purchase price has remained at Rs 355 per quintal for eight years while input costs have nearly doubled. They have sought a bonus of Rs 150 per quintal and annual input assistance of Rs 15,000 per acre for sugarcane and horticultural crops under the Krishak Unnati Yojana.
The charter also seeks crop insurance for sugarcane and payment of pending dues for the 2024-25 crushing season at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cooperative Sugar Mill. Farmers have demanded expansion of district sugar mills and the establishment of a regional sugarcane research centre in Kawardha. These demands place cooperative mill finances and agricultural support systems alongside price support in the dispute.
For paddy procurement, the farmers have asked for an increase over the current rate of Rs 3,100 per quintal, taking into account minimum support price increases over the past three years. They have also sought the release of a pending fourth instalment of paddy payments and standardised weighing of 40.7 kg per bag at procurement centres.
Several demands concern irrigation and the implementation of water infrastructure. The farmers have called for faster execution of stalled canal extensions and compensation for land affected by the Sutiyapath reservoir. They have also sought revised approvals for the Jagmarhwa, Badaudha Khurd and Ghatola reservoirs, extensions to the Chhirpani and Ghoghra canal systems, and a five-foot increase in the height of the Sareipatera dam.
The charter further asks the government to convert the Halp river diversion into a funded dam project. The administration’s response to the memorandum and the proposed next steps on the farmers’ demands will determine whether the road blockade is withdrawn or develops into the indefinite protest warned of by BKS leaders.
