As western Madhya Pradesh reels under violent protest by farmers over demands for cost-based returns for their produce, including higher minimum support prices (MSP) for their produce, as well as waiver of loans totaling around Rs 45,000 crore, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday reached out to protesting farmers inviting them for talks to iron out the differences and transferred the “erring” District Magistrates of three violence-hit districts — Mandsaur, Ratlam and Neemuch — and Mandsaur Superintendent of Police.
“The State Government is always ready for talks with farmers. I appeal to the farmers to maintain calm. Only talks can end the differences. The State Government is of farmers and public. I will continue to work for them,” he said in a Press statement in Bhopal.
The CM said the State Government has taken a slew of measures in farmers’ interest like procuring one kg of onion for Rs 8. “We (State Government) are going to start buying Tur and Urad pulses from farmers at MSP from June 10,” he said. The State Government, in a bid to cool tempers, has already announced certain measures, including a loan settlement scheme for those cultivators who had defaulted on repayment of farm loan. The scheme will cover around six lakh farmers with accumulated dues of Rs 6,000 crore, according to the Government.
Meanwhile, the MP Government on Thursday conveyed to the Centre that five farmers were killed in Mandsaur in police firing, ending the confusion on who had fired at
the protesters.
In a report submitted to the Union Home Ministry, the State Government said the protesting farmers, demanding loan waiver, had allegedly set ablaze 25 trucks and two police vans along the Mhow-Neemuch highway on Tuesday; police tried to control the mob with a lathicharge and then by lobbing tear gas, it said.
However, the report said, when the farmers continued with the violence — “arson, vandalism and destruction of public property” — police fired at them, killing five farmers and injuring eight others.
Meanwhile, anti-riot paramilitary forces on Thursday moved into violence-hit areas of Mandsaur district, but the situation appeared to be improving. Curfew imposed on Wednesday after escalating violence was relaxed for two hours from 4 pm in Mandsaur, as officials said the situation appeared to be improving. Police, however, said some areas were still tense.
A State Government circular issued said Mandsaur DM Swatantra Kumar Singh has been replaced by the DM of Shivpuri OP Shrivastava, while B Chandrashekhar has been replaced by Tanvi Sundriyal in Ratlam. In Neemuch, Kaushlendra Vikram Singh was named the new DM, replacing Rajneesh Shrivastava. Speaking to reporters, Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Basant Pratap Singh said the officials in Mandsaur were transferred in the wake of “dissatisfaction” of the people. According to informed sources, Neemuch SP Manoj Singh has been appointed the new Mandsaur SP in place of OP Tripathi.
Ratlam-range DIG Avinash Sharma is camping in Pipliamandi, where the agitating farmers defied prohibitory orders, beat up officials and policemen, and resorted to violence and arson on Wednesday.