Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers observe Kisan Samman Diwas, reject Centre’s economic package

Members of 10 farmer outfits observed Kisan Samman Diwas in 17 districts of Punjab on Saturday.Rejecting the Centre’s economic package, farmers in Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa, Bathinda, Patiala, Moga, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Nawanshahr, Kapurthala, Pathankot and Gurdaspur, waved flags on their rooftops and held marches in streets.Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU, Dakaunda) state-secretary Jagmohan Singh said, “Farmers are ‘corona food warriors’ but the Centre and state governments are introducing ‘anti-farmer’ policies in the country.“The Centre has ignored the importance of farmers. We reject economic package announced by the Modi government which is a ‘jumla’. The debt of farmers should be waived off without any condition,” said Jagmohan Singh.“The prices of diesel should be reduced to Rs 22 per litre for farmers as has been done by the government for Air Turbine fuel,” he said.Singh said that the announced package of Rs 2 lakh crore loans for 2.5 crore farmers with 2% interest amounts to a relief of just Rs 4,000 crore and not the mega amount being projected. “Even then, it is not clear whether the interest subvention of 2% is over and above the 3% interest subvention already being given or shall be in place of that,” he said.

Hindustan Times

16-05-2020

Chandigarh