BKU threatens to cut off Delhi from all States

ROHTAK: Brewing discontent among the farmers against the government policies has threatened to spill on roads with the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) declaring it will launch a major offensive by blocking all the national highways in the NCR to cut off Delhi from other states on March 9.

The BKU is angry over the continuous neglect of the farming sector by the Centre and state governments and upset over the policies which had proved disastrous for the economic condition of farmers. They have been opposing the acquisition of fertile land and demanded implementation of Swaminathan Committee report for a boost to agriculture.

The farmers have planned road blockages on the seven national highways including Delhi-Rohtak (NH 10) near Asaudha village in Jhajjar district, Delhi-Chandigarh (NH1) near Rai village in Sonipat, Delhi-Jaipur (NH8) near Gurgaon, Delhi-Palwal highway (NH2), Delhi-Saharanpur (NH58) near Mundola village in UP, Delhi-Ghaziabad (NH24) and Delhi-Noida highway.

Haryana BKU chief Gurnam Singh informed TOI, "The governments in Centre and states have been framing anti-farmer policies which have ruined the agriculture economy. We are prepared for a prolonged fight with the government on our demands", the farmers' leader stated. He said their blockade would continue until the government called them for a high level meeting to discuss their demands.

Listing out their demands, Singh maintained that the government should not acquire fertile land for the SEZ and industrial projects and the land for the roads or other essential services must be acquired at a 50 percent premium from the prevailing market rates.

"The MSP of the agriculture produce must be fixed as per the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report. The farmers must be given medical facilities at par with government employees. There should be separate budget for agriculture like the Railway Budget and all kinds of loans on farmers should be waived".

The BKU leader said that it was unfortunate that the agriculture budget in the tenth five year plan has been cut down to below 10%.

"The indiscrimination land acquisition has pushed the farmers into a corner, who were getting hardly any technical and other support from the government even as the landholding was shrinking. Such policies led to a food scarcity in the country".

Rakesh Tikait, spokesperson of the BKU said that farmers from Haryana, Punjab, UP, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand would take part in the 'halla bol' agitation beginning from March 9. "If the government does not lend a ear to us, then we would call a grand rally in Delhi", he stated.