Congress MLAs Stage Farmers' Protest Ahead Of MP Assembly Monsoon Session

Aalirajpur (Madhya Pradesh): Ahead of the monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Congress MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, staged a protest at the Gandhi statue on Monday over issues affecting farmers.

The MLAs raised slogans against fertiliser shortages, the lack of remunerative crop prices and what they described as the state government's anti-farmer policies.

Jobat MLA Sena Mahesh Patel criticised the BJP government, alleging that it had made false promises to farmers while forcing them to wait in long queues for fertiliser e-tokens and denying them fair prices for their produce.

Patel also raised the issue of farmers affected by the Ken-Betwa project. He claimed that despite protests in which farmers stood in water and lay on biers, the government had failed to respond, calling it a sign of insensitivity.

Referring to the previous Congress government, party leaders said the Kamal Nath government had waived farm loans for lakh of farmers. They claimed the Congress had consistently worked for farmers' welfare, unlike the present government.

Congress MLAs warned that they would intensify the protest from the Assembly to the streets if the government failed to address farmers' issues. Several senior party leaders and MLAs attended the demonstration

Government terminates 5,212 PESA mobilisers

Jobat MLA Sena Mahesh Patel on Monday objected to the government's decision to terminate the services of 5,212 PESA mobilisers after the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) scheme expired on March 31, 2026.

She said the appointment orders did not mention March 31, 2026, as the end date and that the mobilisers had spent four years strengthening Gram Sabhas under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA).

The Panchayat and Rural Development Department said the positions were temporary and part-time, ruling out re-employment.

Patel cited an April 6 letter from the Union Ministry urging the state to retain the manpower. She demanded that the government reconsider its decision and provide alternative employment to the affected youth.