Cong blames Bihar govt for poor condition of cultivators; says will launch farmers stir in days to come

The Congress in Bihar on Saturday blamedthe NDA government in the state for deplorable condition offarmers due to low procurement of paddy and wheat besidesdenying them fair price for their produce.

Bihar Congress in-charge and former union minister BhaktaCharan Das, who undertook padyatara in 14 districts and metparty workers and common men, asserted that the party wouldlaunch a big farmers movement in the state in days to come totell them about the ill impact of the new farm laws.

The Nitish Kumar government, which had abolished theAgriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act way back in2006 and also ended the mandi system, has strongly backed thenew agri legislations of the centre.

''Farmners are neither getting fair price for their cropsnor their produce are being procured adequatelythe stategovernment could lift only one per cent of wheat in the state.

''There is no takers of maizethe state governments owntarget is to procure only 30-40 per cent of paddy from thefarmers,while the Chhattisgarh govt has procured 90 per centand other state governments procurement target is 70-80 percent, Das told reporters.

He,however,did not cite any source in support of the datahe was highlighting.

Congress which is a part of the RJD-led Grand Alliance inBihar, performed badly in the recently concluded state pollsand the new party in-charge battling anger of sections ofparty workers over ticket distribution is trying to rechargethe organisation by raking up farmers issue.

Das said MSP of sugarcane has not been revised in Bihar forthe past four years.

''Farmers are getting Rs 310 per quintal for sugarcane asits support price has not been increased in the past fouryears by the state government. When the input cost is rising,why there MSP cant be hiked?'' he asked.

The sugarmills have been closed in the state and thegovernment did not take any initiative to revive them, headded.

Das was accompanied by Bihar Congress chief Madan MohanJha, Congress legislature party leader Ajeet Sharma, formerBihar Congress chief Anil Sharma, MLC Prem Chandra Mishra,senior party leaders Harkhu Jha, H K Verma, Rajesh Rathore andothers at the press meet here.

The former union minister said 5000 food processing unitscould have come up had the state government taken propersteps.

The Congress leader said that the central government shouldwithdraw the three farm laws as doing so will not lower itsdignity at all.

Asked why farmers in Bihar have not come out on roads toprotest against the three farm laws,Das said that cultivatorsin the state are not aware of their rights, and the party willcreate awareness among them.

On violence in the Red Fort on Republic Day, Das mockinglysaid, If the government is so weak that it cannot protect theRed Fort, then what it is the meaning of claiming to have 56inch chest.''