Sangrur, Nov. 3 -- Farmers under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) gheraoed a government team that had come to discuss paddy straw management in Sangur's Laddi village on Sunday. The farmers said even if they don't burn stubble, the government won't bother to ensure timely purchase of the bales. They further said that if they incorporate the straw back into the soil, the next crop may be at risk for the pink borer pest. "We gheraoed the team that had come to discuss the stubble-burning ban as the police and administration officials have been taking pictures of our fields for the last few days without offering any solution," said Jagtar Singh, a farmer of Laddi village in Sangrur. "There is also no provision for managing the paddy straw, and the necessary machinery remains unavailable," he added. He said the government never compensated them for last year's pink borer infestation. "Now, after incessant rains, the viruses have again reduced our harvest this year, causing huge losses," Singh said. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Sukhdev Singh confirmed that the protest began when the police were attempting to prevent the farmers from burning stubble. "The protesters stopped the police officers and demanded to know the solutions and alternatives available for straw management, while sharing their concern about the pink borer," said the DSP....