Bidar: Farmers led by the District Unit of Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene staged a protest at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office premises here on Monday February 13, demanding fulfillment of their various demands.
Though the Central Government withdrew three anti-farmer farm bills, the State Government has not withdrawn them. The Government should immediately withdraw the bill, he said and demanded compensation for farmers who have suffered crop losses due to disease.
Last year, the Mahatma Gandhi Cooperative Sugar Factory released an additional Rs. 50 per tonne of sugarcane. The rest of the factories have not released the dues. He demanded that the factories should pay the bills within 15 days to the farmers who supplied sugarcane.
“About 80 per cent of the crops in the District have been damaged due to heavy rains. But the crop insurance compensation has not been deposited. The pipes have not been installed in the sprinkler irrigation project for over a year,” he rued.
He also demanded that the loans of farmers affected by the floods should be waived off. “Each farmer should be given loans up to Rs. 3 Lakh at zero interest from a Co-operative Bank. Farmers above the age of 55 years should be given an honorarium of Rs. 10,000. Electricity should be provided to the houses in the farmers’ fields at night. He also demanded 24-hour power supply to agricultural pumpsets on the lines of Telangana.
Later, a memorandum written to the Chief Minister was submitted by Sidramappa Anadure, President of the District Unit of Raitha Sangha, to Motilal Lamani, an officer in the Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
