Farmers Movement Archive

Additional subsidy on fertiliser prices a one-time support: SKM

BATHINDA: Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has accused the Central government of limiting subsidy on complex fertilisers for only 2021-22 Kharif season. On Thursday, Kisan Morcha members pointed out that the cabinet committee on economic affairs has stated that the subsidy extended to offset increased complex fertiliser costs is one-time support, applicable only to Kharif season 2021. They said this meant that farmers could be asked to bear increased cost from the forthcoming seasons. “Costs on various fronts, including diesel prices, are constantly shooting up, while prices in the market continue to be low and exploitative for farmers. As for MSP, the government is not ready to adopt the Swaminathan Commission formula, or without improving cost estimations as per Ramesh Chand Committee report. It is also not stepping forward to fulfill one of the key demands of the current struggle - that of legal guarantee of remunerative MSP for all farmers,” morcha members alleged. They added that the BJP, which fought and won elections on this plank, should fulfill the demand of protesting farmers on remunerative MSP unconditionally and immediately. SKM accused Haryana government of continuing with its “anti-farmer behaviour.” They alleged that a farmer from Kandela village in Jind district, Bijender Singh, has been missing from the January 26 tractor parade and the administration was not responding to his family’s repeated appeals to locate him. They alleged that the administration had also “unjustly slapped cases” on farmers protesting against the foundation stone-laying for a BJP office in Jhajjar and demanded that these be withdrawn unconditionally and immediately. SKM further demanded withdrawal of the case registered against protesting farmers for opposing Congress MP Manish Tewari at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Govt implicating protesters: SKM SKM leaders accused the BJP-JJP government in Haryana of trying to discredit the farmers’ movement using alleged suicide by a local village resident. They said that Mukesh, a resident of Kasar village, Bahadurgarh, was burned to death around a petrol pump near his village, close to Kisan Morcha tents at Tikri border on June 16. He succumbed to his injuries. Morcha leaders said that the FIR named a person identified as Krishna, as accused and he has been arrested. They alleged that the FIR also insinuates that protesting farmers burned him.

The Times of India

2021-06-18

Amritsar