Onion price crash triggers Samruddhi expressway blockade for 30 minutes

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Traffic on the Samruddhi expressway was disrupted for nearly 30 minutes on Monday morning after Shiv Sena (UBT) functionaries, led by MLC Ambadas Danve, staged a blockade near exit 19 in Vaijapur, protesting the sharp fall in onion prices and alleging govt inaction.

Protesters burnt tyres and blocked both carriageways, causing long queues of vehicles before the police detained several demonstrators, including Danve.

Superintendent of police Vinay Kumar Rathod said, “An FIR was registered against 46 identified and 30-40 unidentified individuals for obstructing the highway. Such protests cannot be allowed as they endanger both protesters and commuters.”

According to Vaijapur police inspector Satyajit Taitwale, cases have been filed under various BNS sections, including 125, 126(2), 182(2), 190, 221, 223 and 285. Those detained were later released after being issued notices.

The police had earlier denied permission for the agitation after Shiv Sena (UBT) office bearers Akshay Sathe and Manaji Misal approached authorities on Friday seeking to organise a rasta roko. Despite this, Danve, along with party functionaries, farmers and workers — many wearing garlands of onions — gathered at the expressway and launched the protest.

As the agitation intensified near the Jambargaon interchange, heavy police deployment, including quick response teams, moved in to control the situation and detain participants.

Addressing the protesters, Danve said permission was not required to raise farmers’ issues. He alleged that the state’s announced subsidy of Rs 12.35 per kg was not reaching cultivators, claiming farmers were effectively earning only 50 paise to Rs 1 per kg and, in some cases, incurring losses after market charges.

“Govt announced onion procurement at Rs 12 per kg only after farmers had already dumped more than half of their produce on roads due to distress sales,” Danve said. He also led sloganeering against chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.

Farmers at the protest said onion prices had dropped to Rs 100-Rs 200 per quintal in some markets, making it impossible to recover cultivation costs. Some claimed they were forced to pay additional charges at agricultural produce market committees despite low returns.

The protesters demanded immediate procurement through NAFED, a minimum support price of Rs 2,000 per quintal, Rs 1,500 subsidy assistance, continuation of onion exports, direct fertiliser subsidy transfers, 75% subsidy for storage facilities, and access to quality seeds at concessional rates.

Sena (UBT) politicians termed it the first such blockade of the Samruddhi expressway over farmers’ issues and warned of intensified agitations if demands remain unmet.