Members of the All India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sanghathan (AIKKMS) took out a protest march in Dharwad on Saturday demanding immediate release of MGNREGA wages and stopping installation of meters to irrigation pump sets in the State, among others.
Farmers and labourers under the aegis of AIKKMS took out the protest march from Kalabhavan to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharwad and then staged a demonstration before submitting memorandum.
Addressing the protesters, district unit president of AIKKMS Deepa Dharwad said the most severe drought in the last 22 years was faced by farmers last year. However, the government did not take requisite remedial measures to mitigate their sufferings, she said.
Ms. Deepa said that Centre did not address the farmers’ issues in the recent union Budget. “What is worse is that the farmers are facing shortage of seeds and fertilisers because of the artificial scarcity created by vested interests. And there is no assurance that the yield will get a fair price after harvesting,” she said.
She said that because of the apathy of successive governments, the farmers were forced to take the extreme step of ending their lives. While 1,185 farmers had committed suicide in the last 15 months in the State, the number is 104 in Dharwad district, she said.
District secretary Sharanu Gonawar said that at a time when farmers were in distress, the ruling disposition had resorted to installation of meters to irrigation pump sets and was planning to introduce prepaid system for power supply. Such moves would further push the farmers to distress, he said.
Published - August 03, 2024 07:51 pm IST
