nThe All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee on Thursday held state-level protests seeking paddy procurement from November 10, an integrated law in Chhattisgarh to neutralize the three Central agriculture laws and procurement of farm produce at minimum support price.
A joint statement issued to the media by leaders of the Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha and Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan said the anti-farmer laws enacted by the central government is for corporatization of agriculture and eliminating MSP and PDS in the country.
In case of any disagreement between farmers and companies, the farmers have been refrained from approaching the courts.
It is stated that if the government does not procure foodgrain on minimum support price (MSP), with the passage of time the distribution of rice and wheat at `1 or `2 will stop. The waiver of stock limits will promote hoarding, leading to price rise.
In Chhattisgarh, the amendments made in Mandi Act has no provision for MSP price and included provision of ‘Deemed Mandi’.
The leaders stated that with harvesting of paddy at full swing across the state, procurement should commence from November 10. In case of purchase being done at lower than MSP, law should be made to declare it an act of crime.
The statement said that if the central government does not roll back its agriculture laws, then farmers from across the country will organize protests in New Delhi on November 26-27.