On the issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) to cotton and groundnut growers, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) staged a big procession against the Gujarat Government in Ahmedabad near Income Tax circle on Monday.
The BKS is the offshoot of the Sangh Parivar and came at loggerheads with the BJP-ruled Gujarat Government over its demand to increase minimum support price (MSP) of cotton and groundnut.
According to BKS leaders, current MSP of `800 for per 20 kg cotton is too low and they want the MSP to be hiked to `1,000. They are also demanding to increase MSP of groundnut from current `850 to `1,100.
The protest of BKS came at a time when the State Government is organising Ravi Krishi Mela (Winter Agriculture Fair) in parts of the State. In some parts of Saurashtra, farmers have boycotted the State-sponsored Krishi Mela. “In fact, for instance, in lalpur village in Saurashtra farmers are on an indefinite hunger fast for the last fortnight or so,” said a BKS leader.
The BKS leaders were not convinced with the State’s proposal to offer a “reasonable” price for cotton at a meeting, attended by senior Gujarat Ministers including Nitin Patel, Ramanlal Vora and Bhupendrasinh Chudasma. BKS State unit president Magan Patel, besides other representatives of the body attended the meeting
After the meeting, Gujarat Government spokesman and senior Minister Nitin Patel said that they had a detailed and intense discussion with farmers’ representatives and proposed to accord a reasonable price for cotton along with some extra financial aid before Kisan Sangh (BKS). He said the BKS leaders also wanted a waiver on agricultural loans and electricity bills of cotton-growers, a decision on which will be taken by the Chief Minister.
Official sources said the BKS representatives said around 25 to 30 per cent of the cotton produced had already reached the markets. The Kisan Sangh also placed another demand for holding meetings with them on regular intervals, which the State Government accepted.