A Pradesh Congress Committee delegation headed by its president Pritam Singh met president Pranab Mukherjee during his Dehradun visit and submitted a memorandum to him raising the issues being faced by farmers inUttarakhand.
A six-member PCC delegation led by Singh met the president at his residence Ashiana. In the memorandum submitted to Mukherjee, the PCC members expressed concern stating that the condition of farmers is being ignored in the nation. The farmers are not receiving adequate price for their produce while also facing problems in timely procurement of seeds, electricity and irrigation facilities due to which they are being crushed under the burden of loans. Not receiving proper price for their produce, the farmers are not being able to repay their bank loans. The memorandum states that farmers across the nation are agitating in support of their demands but the Central Government has not taken any positive decision in the interests of farmers so far. In such a situation, the cases of farmer suicides are rising in the nation with an average 35 farmers committing suicide every day. The PCC delegation further said that during elections in Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party had in its vision document promised the people of the state that if elected to form government, the farmers would be provided a loan waiver and interest-free loans, apart from which the dues of sugar cane farmers would be cleared in 15 days. Today, the state government is not honouring any of these three promises. Uttarakhand, which was so far untouched by farmer suicides, has also registered suicide by farmers since June 16 this year. Under pressure from banks and money lenders to repay loan, one farmer each in Pithoragarh, Tehri and Udham Singh Nagar districts committed suicide while one farmer in Udham Singh Nagar died from a heart attack after receiving a bank notice.
It is a matter of concern that the state government does not appear serious about ensuring that no more farmers commit suicide in Uttarakhand. The state government needs to take concrete decisions without delay in order to resolve the problems being faced by farmers here. The Congress delegation requested the president to issue necessary directions to the Central and State Governments for resolving the problems of farmers. They requested that loan waiver should be facilitated for farmers in Uttarakhand. The support price should be declared and produce should be purchased from farmers for price one and a half times higher that the production cost.
Farmers should also be provided with interest-free loan for agricultural works. The dues of sugar cane farmers should also be cleared soon. All necessary financial assistance should be provided to the family of farmers who have died, the Congress memorandum requested. According to the PCC, the president heard the issues raised by the Congress delegation, assuring that he would talk to the Central Government on this subject. The protection of farmers’ interests is vital for the welfare of the nation, added Mukherjee. Along with the PCC chief, former chief minister Harish Rawat, former PCC president Kishore Upadhyay, PCC vice president Jot Singh Bisht, former cabinet minister Dinesh Aggarwal and former MlA Rajkumar were also part of the Congress delegation which meet the President.