Ludhiana, Sept. 29 -- Anger against the Punjab and Central governments flared in Asia's second-largest grain market on Sunday as thousands of commission agents (arhtiyas) converged in Jagraon to warn of a statewide strike amid the paddy procurement season.

The Federation of Arhtiya Associations, Punjab, convened a convention where state president Vijay Kalra announced that no arhtiya in Punjab would mediate in what he termed as the "blind looting" by agencies and cellar owners in the name of moisture, damage and discoloration in paddy. "The government must direct agencies to take responsibility for assessing the quality of paddy they procure. Arhtiyas will not be made scapegoats this time," Kalra declared.

Kalra further warned that if t...