Dehradun: Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that today the farmers of the country are marching to New Delhi in protest against the non-fulfillment of the assurances given while withdrawing the three black agricultural laws, but Delhi Police and Haryana Police are harassing the farmers and depriving them of their legitimate rights. The methods being used to prevent people from exercising their rights are extremely undemocratic and reflect the anti-farmer mentality of the central government.
Arya said that the reasons for the farmers’ movement are clear. Be it an attempt to amend the Land Acquisition Act to help the capitalists or bringing three black agricultural laws. They have tried to harm the farmers in every way. Till date, farmers have not even received the guarantee of minimum support price. Work has been done to weaken the market for farmers. Even this government has failed to give fair cost price to the farmers. During the period 2004-14, during the Congress government, the minimum support price of wheat was increased by 126 percent. If the present government had provided the same minimum support price to the farmers, then today they would have been getting Rs 3277 per quintal of wheat instead of Rs 2275 which they are getting at present.
Leader of Opposition said that the farmers are getting trapped in the vicious cycle of debt. Since 2013, the debt of farmers has increased by 60 percent and due to this their condition has become very bad. Lakhs of farmers who get insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana have to face the problem of delay in payment of their claims.
According to the government’s own figures, claims worth approximately Rs 2761 crore were pending in ’21-’22. Yashpal Arya said that under the guise of tall claims and speeches about doubling the income of farmers by 2022, an attempt was made to hide the reality of the farmers. The reality is that farmers are not able to live even a respectable life. They are deep in debt and are not even getting the insurance money for the loss of their crops.
He said that the farmers have not received the guarantee of minimum support price till date. Work has been done to weaken the market for farmers. BJP is a suit-boot government that benefits the capitalists. The BJP government never talked about the welfare of the farmers. This government is not understanding the plight of farmers and laborers. Farmers should get minimum support price. Congress’s support is with farmers, laborers and commission agents.
