Farmers Movement Archive

Farmers seek financial help

Amritsar, May 27Activists of various farmers’ association staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Wednesday under the banner of the Kul Hind Kisan Sangarsh Talmel Committee and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.Farmer leaders complained that in the Rs20 lakh crore package announced by the Centre recently, it had not given anything to the agrarian sector. They demanded that the government should waive off the instalment and interest for the rabi season.They also demanded that the MSP for paddy be fixed at Rs3,000 per quintal. Farmers said basmati purchase should be brought under the public distribution system and a minimum MSP of Rs5,000 per quintal be fixed.The activists said the government should announce 50 per cent subsidy for the agriculture sector on the cost of seed, pesticides, fertilisers, farm machinery parts and diesel for farmers with a landholding of less than 10 acre. An assured price of Rs500 per quintal for sugarcane crop was also included in the list of demands.Jamhoori Kisan Sabha leaders Satnam Singh Ajnala and Rattan Singh Randhawa said the government should spend on the upgrade of the canal irrigation system in Punjab. They said during the lockdown, milk producers were hit hard. Randhawa asked the government to ensure proper marketing of milk and increase in its purchase price by milk cooperatives.Balwinder Singh Dudala of Kul Hind Kisan Sabha said farm workers should be given a financial assistance of Rs10,000 per month for six months, increase in credit under PM Kisan Yojana to Rs18,000 from existing Rs6,000, reduction in residential electricity charges to Rs2 per unit. The activists claimed that the government was aiming at corporatisation of agriculture in the country instead of helping farmers who were dependent on it for subsistence.Demand 16-hour power supplyTarn Taran: Members of 10 farmer organisations under the banner of the Kul Hind Kisan Sangharsh Talmel Committee on Wednesday organised a protest and submitted a memorandum of their demands to the officials concerned. Prithipal Singh Marimegha, Jaspal Singh Chabal and other leaders of the organisations condemned policies of the Central and the state governments, which were favouring multinational companies at the cost of working class and farmers. The leaders demanded waiving off the farm loan, better supportive prices for their produce, 16-hour power supply to paddy farmers and Rs2 per unit domestic power. Similar protests were organised in the Patti, Bhikhiwind and Khadoor Sahib subdivisions. OC

The Tribune

2020-05-28