Intensifying their movement reiterating the demand for due status to farmers, hundreds of activists of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS)on Thursday locked the entrance gate of Collectorates of four districts to press for their demands of price, prestige and pension for farmers putting the security personnel in a tizzy.
The agitating farmers staged demonstration before the Collectors’ offices in Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, and Jajpur districts and locked the gate and did not allow anybody to enter the premises. Even though the demonstrations were largely peaceful, hundreds of agitators were arrested as a precautionary measure.
“Today we stage demonstration before four district Collectors’ office. We have plant to hold such stir across the State to pressurise theGovernment to bow down before the power of farmers,” said NKS State coordinator Sesadeb Nanda.
He threatened to continue the stir till the Government gives an assurance to fulfill their demands.
“The Government has enough money to distribute freebees to please various sections of the society. A Government employee of the rank of a peon makes as much as `16,000. The MlAs and the MPs earn in lakhs. All of them earn pension at the end of their service periods. What is wrong if we demand pension for the hardworking farmers,” questioned NKS State Coordinator Akshay Kumar.
The NKS has long been demanding that the Government admit the cases of farmers’ suicide due to crop failure and loan burden, provide compensation, social security to farmers by way of `5,000 pension,
betterfarm produce procurement facilities, higher minimum support price, better social recognition and drought compensation.