No bigger issue in country today than plight of farmers: Scindia

Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Shivpuri on Saturday that there was no bigger issue in the country today than farmers’ plight.

Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Shivpuri on Saturday that there was no bigger issue in the country today than farmers’ plight.

Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Shivpuri on Saturday that there was no bigger issue in the country today than farmers’ plight. (HT file photo)

Talking to HT soon after addressing a farmers’ rally here on Saturday, Scindia said, “Farming is becoming unviable, and ameliorating (the condition of) the farming community seems nowhere on the agenda of the BJP government at the Centre or the state.”

“They (farmers) are not getting increase in minimum support price (MSP), they don’t have access to market, input cost is going up and farm output is going down. There are no welfare schemes for farmers. What else would they do but commit suicide,” he added.

Referring to a farmer in Ashok Nagar, another district under his constituency other than Guna and Shivpuri, Scindia said the farmer in question Sriram Yadav went around the town seeking to sell his 1.5 hectare land.

“He must have met at least 25 persons in an attempt to repay loan but when he failed, he committed suicide. How do you expect farmers to survive if the yield is 10 percent of the average, as is the case in Shivpuri this season?” he said.

When asked about the overall drought situation in the state, he said 30 districts were affected by drought but no survey had taken place and no assistance had reached the affected farmers.

In reply to a question whether he would aggressively take up the cause of farmers throughout the state, Scindia said as of now his workplace was his constituency. “There is no lack of aggression on my part – neither in the Lok Sabha nor in my constituency. But

I am not one of those leaders who nurture dreams of becoming big, who are power hungry. My father has taught me, look straight and serve people without any digression and that’s what I am doing.”