Mandsaur: Farmers staged a demonstration on Tuesday outside the district opium office under the leadership of Congress leader Parashuram Sisodia, protesting against the recent changes in opium policy.
During the protest, when the farmers reported incidents of corruption in the department, deputy commissioner Rajavaniya said that if the farmers are so honest, they shouldn’t pay the officials. Enraged over this comment, Suwasra MLA Hardeep Singh Dang and Congress leader Parshuram Sisodiya got into a verbal spat with Rajavaniya. They sat outside his office and started sloganeering. After 20 minutes, Rajavaniya apologised and asked the farmers to send in written complaints so that action can be taken against the officials involved. This pacified the angry farmers and leaders to a certain extent.
Addressing the gathered here, Dang said that the BJP government at the center is, anti-farmer and wants to shut down opium cultivation. Sisodiya pointed out the absence of BJP member of parliament Sudhir Gupta from the whole scene and sarcastically commented that, “They have printed posters, and whoever finds Gupta will be rewarded.”
After the protest, the gathered submitted a memorandum with 8 key points. These included: eligibility for opium lease should not be on the basis of morphine cultivation, licences cancelled in the year 1997- 98, due to opium production of inferior quality should be restored, the procedure for transfer of leases should be kept simple and transparent, the price of opium is currently being given as nominal and should be raised to the international price, formulate a committee of farmers while formulating opium policy and take their suggestions, and that after the inspection of crop, the report should be given to the farmer immediately. Many Congress leaders were present here.
