Kissan Tehreek demands MSP, loans for farmers
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 7: Jammu and Kashmir Kissan Tehreek today demanded minimum support price (MSP) and agricultural loans to small farmers and orchardists of the region.
During its day long district conference held in Kathua, the participants expressed concern over various problems being faced by the farmers across J&K.
While addressing the conference CPI(M) leader, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the core sectors of our economy- agriculture and horticulture have totally been neglected by the Government, despite J&K being an agricultural state and major chunk of population dependent on this sector. He said issue of fair price for their produce by ensuring a minimum support price for all crops has been a long pending demand of kissans. The Government must include Basmati and Kashmir fruit industry in the MSP.
Over the issue of administration’s move to retrieve state and forest land from alleged encroachers, Ex-MLA said, it is not only dispossessing villagers from the land they have been farming from decades, thousands of apple trees, too, have been chopped off in the process.
“This is unfortunate and must be stopped immediately. The Government move is aimed at dispossessing them and attacking their livelihoods. We demand immediate compensation and immediate halt to this alleged eviction,” he added.
Tarigami said that under Free Trade Agreement various fruits are imported in the country. He demanded 100% custom duty on these imported fruits. He said the biggest challenge facing the growers and farmers is the menace of pests and diseases and in absence of any fool proof mechanism to curb the sub-standard and spurious pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers the problems of farmers are further aggravated.
President Kisan Tehreek, Jammu Province, Banarasi Das termed the decision of J&K government to annul the March 2015 announcement of then Finance Minister of waiving off water tax on agricultural land as arbitrary and against the interests of farmers.
He demanded the immediate revocation of the order. He said administration has directed the Numberdars to collect water taxes from the farmers from March 2015 onwards failing which they have been warned of action under J&K Water Resources Regulation and Management Act-2010. It is sheer injustice with the farmers to force them to pay now.
Sewa Ram, District Kathua president Kisan Tehreek, general secretary Sohan Lal, Om Prakash, general secretary CITU also addressed the conference.
Follow our WhatsApp channel