Bhopal: Peeved over Chief Minister’s unfulfilled promises, Bharatiya Kisan Union has called for an indefinite ‘Gram-Bandh’ from June 1 seeking total waiver off farm loans and investment cost in agriculture. The proposed strike is expected to hit supply of essentials like milk, fruits, vegetables, grains etc.
Union president Anil Yadav, while interacting with media here on Friday said that farmers had observed 10-day bandh on June 1 last year to protest the killing of six farmers in Mandsaur. The CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had then openly announced that action will be taken against murderers and also assured that cases against farmers will be withdrawn, besides, he had also promised setting up of Agriculture Marketing Commission, however, one year has passed but no concrete steps have been taken in this direction, said Yadav.
Elaborating further, he said that CM had promised for Kisan bazars in every nagar palika and nagar panchayat to enable farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers. The decision on Kisan Bazar was taken to make middlemen redundant and ensure that farmers get better price for their produce, but the proposal has not yet come out of the files, said Yadav.
We have been trying to meet the CM but we are not given appointment, he said. Alleging that farmers are being harassed in the state , Yadav said that they have no option but to commit suicide. “Our “Gram-Bandh” will be peaceful, however, if administration mount pressure and compel us to go aggressive, the government will be responsible for it, he added.
Dip in veggie prices irks farmers
Tomatoes @0.50 paisa/kg, garlic 10/kg;
Piqued farmers dumped 10 quintal tomatoes on roads as mark of protest in Narsingpur as prices touched rock bottom at Rs 0.50 paisa per kilogram. The farmers decried that at this price it was not possible for them even to recover actual investment cost of the bumper harvest.
The Kisan sangh president said that we have asked the state government to take steps to protect the interests of tomato-producing farmers who are in deep financial crisis. He said that the government should bring tomato producing farmers under its Bhavantar Yojana, where farmers are paid the difference between market price and minimum support price of a crop whenever market prices fall.
Garlic is also being sold Rs 10 per kilo. Similarly, garlic is being dumped on roads at various places, informed Yadav. He said that the government should encourage farmers to set up small cold storage facilities and processing units rather than helping big industrialists, said Yadav.
