Peasants' body sends 13-point demand to CM

 Special Correspondent

Silchar, Aug 8: The problems of farmers of Cachar district are endemic which is becoming more and more acute. It is all due to the anti peasantry policy of the government which has its adverse affect on the development of the farmers. It is also creating the passage for crippling the agriculture and mounting the woes of peasantry class. Deeply worried, All India Kisam Sabha (AIKS), Cachar district committee, in a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of Assam and sent through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar today, it has been noted with great regret that even after long years of Independence, the tillers of the land have not received their patta and thereby being deprived of all the facilities and benefits from the government.

 The Forest Act of 2006 is yet to be implemented. This again has stood in the way of the various advantages turally due to them. The irrigation facility in the district is beyond any description. It is most surprising that even after draining out of crores of rupees, only 1% irrigation facility could be made available. This in no way comes to the benefit of the poor and deprived peasants. In addition to that due to the annual flooding of Barak and its tributaries, hundreds of bighas of agricultural products are lost. Their hearths and homes get damaged in the erosions.

 The agonies of farmers know no bounds. Repeated representations to the authorities concerned have failed to yield any result. Their life is made more miserable owing to the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. They have to live from hands to mouth with no attention from the government. The irregularities and anomalies in the food security scheme have made it a farce. To add salt to their wounds, the communication network in the rural areas is in totters. Besides being prone to regular accidents, the farmers find it extremely difficult to carry out their everyday business.

 AIKS has submitted 11 point charter of demands to the Chief Minister for immediate favourable action. All the BPL families have to be included in food security scheme, landless cultivators and families should be given land patta, implementation of Forest Act of 2006, strict action to curb rising prices and the farmers to be given justified price for their agricultural products, besides extension of bank loans on easy terms.

 Other demands placed before included adequate irrigation facility, anti erosion measures and compensation to the affected families, inclusion of the mes of those villages which could not be listed during the last tiol socio-economic census, availability of the various other benefits like seeds, fertilizers, insecticides and also a check on their prices and setting up of cold storage in every block. Before the submission of the memorandum signed by Pradip Choudhury, secretary, and Rejamond Ali Barbhuiya, president, members of AIKS staged sit in protest demonstration before the office of the Deputy Commissioner.