JOIN USFarmers for greater solidarity among selves
Demanding interest-free crop loans and insisting that the government stops acquisition of fertile agricultural lands for ‘industrial purposes’ under the guise of making way for progress, members of Akhila Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha concluded their meeting with a charter for the government.
The three-day event, which concluded on Sunday, was organised by Bharatiya Kisan Sangha. Over two thousand representatives from various parts of the country, including Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Odisha participated in the meeting, which had over 5,000 office bearers and activists taking part in the event.
Addressing a press conference, sangha chairman Anantaram Murakute said the sangha was working to help farmers become content, self-reliant villages and thus make an efficient country.
“In the next six months, we hope to have over 77 lakh farmers for our members. Kisan Sangha is working for betterment of farmers and has also kept up negotiations with the government to advocate pro-farmer policies.
Sangha has kept up pressure on the government for better support price for crops,” he said. Insisting that agriculture produce be given over 20 per cent additional support price for farmers, and National Human Rights Commission take up suo motu case of farmers’ suicide, the sangha said this was essential since nearly 16 farmers were committing suicide everyday in the country. The government should provide compensation to farmers’ family, Murakute said.
Demands
* Government should extend interest-free loan to farmers, and interest be applied only when they fail to repay loan on time.
* Kisan Credit Cards be made available to all farmers. All farmers should be given loan facility across banks. There should be no ‘fine text’ conditions in crop loan facility given to farmers. Loan should be given in cash, and in one shot to farmers.
* Government should bear the loss sustained by farmers during times of drought or famine.
* Loan should be given within 15 days of applying.
* If a farmer suffers loss owing to delay caused by bank/agencies’ processes, government should ensure the loss is borne by banks, and farmer is compensated for it.