Farmers, rice millers, and arhtiyas (commission agents) in Punjab have called for a "chakka jam" protest on Sunday (October 13), blocking roads across the state for three hours from 12 noon.

The demonstration is in response to the Punjab and Central governments' policies on crop procurement and paddy lifting, which they claim have been delayed since October 1, the official start of the kharif harvest season, The Indian Express reported.

The decision to hold the protest was made during a joint meeting of farmer unions, arhtiya associations, and rice millers in Chandigarh on Friday.

The groups expressed frustration that the procurement process has not yet begun and agreed that unified action is necessary to prevent further harm to both agriculture and related businesses.

The meeting was organized under the banner of the United Kisan Morcha, and leaders emphasized the need for collective resistance to address the ongoing crisis.

The protest leaders warned that if the situation does not improve, they will consider organizing a larger movement, similar to the farmers' agitation of 2020-2021, which saw massive protests at the Delhi borders.

 A follow-up meeting is scheduled for October 14, where future strategies for intensified protests will be discussed.