Workers and leaders of Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) will stage dharna at district headquarters from July 4 to highlight the plight of farmers in the state. The party will also launch ‘Pol Khol Abhiyan’ (expose the government) across the state. Giving information, state RlD president Dr Masood Ahmad said that national RlD vice-president Jayant Chaudhary would take part in meetings / seminars to discuss the woes of farmers. “Jayant Chaudhary will take part in the meetings to be held in eastern, central and Bundelkhand regions of the state,” he informed media persons at the state RlD headquarters in lucknow on Saturday. Hitting out at the state government for failing to fulfill promises the ruling party made during 2014 general elections to woo farmers, Masood said that the farmers are forced to shell out Rs 350 for a 45-kg sack of fertilizer which was earlier available for Rs 50 only. “The Central government has failed to stop inflation. To counter farmers’ ire, the Modi and Yogi governments promised to double farmers’ income but had no idea how to fulfill the same,” he pointed out. lambasting the Central and state government on land acquisition, Masood said that the state government was appeasing capitalists at the cost of farmers. “Recently the state government tabled a proposal of acquisition of farmers’ land at circle rate. This had exposed the BJP’s true face on farmers’ issues,” he said. Masood said that the RlD under the leadership of Jayant Chaudhary successfully stalled the Modi government’s plan to amend the land Acquisition Bill, 2013. Speaking on hike in power tariff, Masood said that the rural unmetered consumers were paying Rs 300 in place of Rs 180 while rural unmetered commercial users were paying Rs 1000 in place of Rs 600. “Similarly, farmers using power for irrigation are paying nearly double to what they paid earlier. In urban areas, the state government has fixed Rs 8 per unit for those consuming power between 300 units and 1000 units per month,” he pointed out. The leader said that the RlD would fight for farmers and launch several programs to make people aware. “The BJP is sure to taste defeat for ditching the farmers and public,” he said. Senior RlD leaders including national spokesman Anil Dubey, state spokesman Surendra Nath Trivedi, Ambuj Patel, Javed Ahmad and Preeti Srivastava were present atthe meeting.