Loss of Rs 32,700 Crore in Kharif Season Because of MSP Absence: Kisan Sangharsh Samiti

Bhopal: Announcing a fresh spell of farmers’ agitation in Madhya Pradesh over the demand for Minimum Support Price (MSP), Kisan Sangharsh Samiti on Sunday alleged that farmers incurred losses up to Rs 32,700 crore due to unavailability of MSP during kharif season.

“Comparing the MSP and existing rates in mandis in the country, we calculated the losses suffered by farmers in kharif season this year which amounted to Rs 32,702 crore,” said Executive President of Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and former MLA Dr Sunilam.

“The magnitude of this loot is really huge,” he said.

Sunilam, best known for the Multai farmers protest of 1998 when 17 farmers died in police firing, claimed that with the state-wide protest farmers sought to draw the Modi government’s attention to the 2014 election promise to provide 1.5 times benefit to farmers.

Other farm issues that will be highlighted during the protest are loan waiver, electricity bill waiver, kisan pension, Bhanvantar scam and non-payment of compensation to farmers after hailstorm, the farmers’ representatives told the media.

As part of the protest, farmer and labour unions would observe satyagrah at Krishi Mandis in Chhatarpur (March 11), Rewa (March 28), Hoshangabad (March 29) and the campaign would culminate at Piplaymandi, Mandsaur on March 30.

Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav would also take part in the campaign.

Referring to the BJP’s recent bypoll setbacks, Sunilam said farmers are “acting as the real opposition” in India.

President of MP Kisan Sabha Jasvinder Singh said at present MSP covers only 6% farmers in the country.

On Krishi Karman awards, which have been repeatedly conferred on Madhya Pradesh, Singh alleged that agriculture in the state has been marred by drought. He alleged that “exorbitant” productivity figures are arrived at by the state government by “forging” output data of government farms based in districts.

“If the productivity figures are true, then why doesn't the MP government go public with the data of these state-run farms,” he questioned.