Agricultural sector worsening under Modi: ASKS

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Nov 12: “The agricultural sector of the State and living condition of the farmers are worsening after NDA government under rendra Modi came to power at Centre,” alleged Assam State Kisan Sabha (ASKS) secretary Tiken Das in a press conference at Guwahati Press Club today.

Das said, “According to a RTI report from State agriculture department, 14 farmers committed suicide in Morigaon district due to poverty from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. However, according to crime bureau and our survey more than 40 farmers committed suicide due to loss in agriculture and poverty. The scheme of MGNREGA, which was introduced to help the farmers were also stopped due to corruption and lack of fund.”

He further alleged, “The BJP came to power by saying that they will imply Minimum Support Price (MSP) including 50 per cent more than the production cost to the farmers, but they broke the promise and decided the MSP less than production cost for the agricultural products in fincial year 2015-16. It shows that, Central government led by BJP and State government led by Congress both follow the neo-liberal economic policy for which, the government fund for the farmers has been stopped and they will not get any help from the government.

He further said that the Central government has introduced prime minister’s rehabilitation package of Rs 19,985.85 crores for the poor farmers of 31 districts of four States like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kartaka and Kerala, whereas Assam was not included in the list. The irrigation project of the State is also pathetic as only five per cent of total agricultural sector has irrigation facility. Among these, more than half projects have stopped working due to lack of interest and corruption.