Farmers: Declare east UP drought-hit
MEMBERS OF the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) staged a dharna outside the district magistrate?s office demanding eastern Uttar Pradesh be declared drought hit.
MEMBERS OF the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) staged a dharna outside the district magistrate’s office demanding eastern Uttar Pradesh be declared drought hit.
They said scanty rain in August had caused damage to 15 per cent of the paddy crops and that there were remote chances for revival of the monsoon.
They also demanded to suspend collection of all the revenue from the farmers.
Expressing his views in the kisan panchayat district president Lal Singh and secretary Satish Ojha blamed the State and Union governments for ignoring the interest of farmers and pursuing the policies of welfare of the capitalists and traders.
They said there was around 50 per cent deficit in rain in August causing fear among farmers forcing them to commit suicide if the State Government continued with its “apathetic” attitude.
Ojha also demanded to ensure 18 hours power supply to enable irrigation by tube wells to protect the paddy crops in the field.
They handed over a memorandum to the district officials to be forwarded to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and demanded that agriculture sector be exempted from the purview of the World Trade Organisation.
They said farmers were first casualties of the liberalisation policies.
They demanded multinational companies not be allowed to take over the Indian seeds supply system and expressed concern that farmers were not getting fair price for their produce.