Farmers in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh have taken to the streets to protest over unsold paddy, ANI has reported. They have blocked roads and threatened to go on hunger strikes.
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1088532773692788738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
One farmer was quoted by the news agency as saying, “My paddy has been lying at the centre for last 20 days. Nobody is doing anything, my wife and kids are starving. Govt isn’t listening, how am I supposed to survive?”
It was also alleged that the managers of the Cooperative Council gave jute bags to big traders fraudulently whereas the farmers were not given bags for the purchase of material.
On the previous Friday as well, Farmers in Madhya Pradesh had blocked the Damoh-Sagar highway protesting over the absence of bags for the purchase of urad dal, bringing traffic on the highway to a standstill. The farmers were upset with the surveyors and council managers for the chaos.
It has been more than a month since Kamal Nath-led Congress government was formed in Madhya Pradesh, making huge promises to the farmers. However, in the last several weeks, the problems of farmers only seem to be increasing. As many as three farmers have committed suicide in the state due to the debt burden. In December, farmers were lathicharged as well as severe mismanagement of urea rocked the state.
There are also allegations of a scam brewing in the state as it was recently reported that Rs 120 crore non-existent farm loans were ‘waived off’ in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress after assuming power in Madhya Pradesh had cleverly altered the conditions to waive-off farms loans in contrast to their earlier stand.