BJKM ALLEGE CENTER AND STATE GOVT FOR FARMER’S PLIGHT.

BJKM ALLEGE CENTER AND STATE GOVT FOR FARMER’S PLIGHT.

VISAKEO (Bhubaneswar)

Expressing concerns over increasing number of farmers’ suicide cases in the State, the BJP Krushak Morcha (BJKM) on Saturday alleged that it all happened due to wrong agriculture policy of the Centre and State Government. It demanded that both the Governments should make a comprehensive policy for agriculture in which the farmers would be secured with their lands and remunerative support prices of their produce.

The BJKM also came down heavily on the massive land acquisition for the private companies and announced that it would launch a nationwide agitation from October 11, the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan to demand passing of the Land Acquisition Bill (LAB), 2007 in the Winter Session of the Parliament.

Addressing a Press conference, National president of BJKM Om Prakash Dhanked rued that while businessmen, service holders and industrialists are economically growing, farmers — the largest group solely dependent on agriculture in the country — are continuously suffering.

Maintaining that the minimum support prices (MSP) are not the remedy to stop distress sale, rampant in Odisha, he said that making provision for remunerative price is the only way out overcome the problem. He suggested that 100 per cent profit should be paid to the farmers. “100 per cent of cost of production should be given to farmers as profit,” he maintained.

Dhanked alleged that the mandis have been instruments of tyranny for the farmers in the State. “Farmers are facing problems in getting their due prices in Mandis. BJKM has decided to have a mandi darshan programme in the State in which national and State level leaders will take part,” he said, adding that two committees have been formed by the BJKM to examine under what circumstances the farmers are committing suicide and to see what steps the State Government is taking to tackle drought situation in the wake of low rainfall in 15 districts.

Ruing that the State Government is resorting to massive land acquisition for the industries, he demanded that the companies should take lands on lease basis and the land owners should have shares in the profit of the company.

He demanded that the Land Acquisition Bill, 2007 be passed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

“BJKM is going for a massive nationwide agitation demanding that the Bill be passed,” he said