Farmers' organisation, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Thursday announced that it will go on a nationwide protest on September 8 demanding guaranteed remunerative prices for farmers' produce.
Addressing a press conference, Dinesh Kulkarni, a member of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh said, "This time, the main demand of the farmers is minimum support price (MSP). Whatever MSP is declared by the government, only Central and state agencies purchase on that MSP and only 9 per cent of farmers benefit from that. The country's small farmers are not able to avail its benefits. There is no point in announcing MSP rates if most of the farmers are not actually getting that price in the mandis. Many farmers are not even getting their production costs covered."
"There are many states where the farmers are not getting MSP on their produce. So a guaranteed MSP needs to be assured to our farmers. The Centre should either bring in a law to ensure that minimum support price (MSP) is guaranteed to farmers or amend the new farm laws," said Kulkarni.
The Bhartiya Kisan Sangh will go on a nationwide agitation on September 8 in more than 525 districts in the country, to press for 'Remunerative price' for farmers on their cost of production, in adherence to all COVID protocols," said the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh member.
"With this regard, a letter from the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh has also been sent to the Prime Minister," he added.
This came even as farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 last year against the three newly enacted farm laws: Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Farmer leaders and the Centre have held several rounds of talks but the impasse remains.
( With inputs from ANI )
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