Talking to IPA, Mr Atul Anjan, national secretary of CPI and general secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, said that instructions would be issued to members of UP Kisan Saabha all over the state that as part of agitation programme they should take up “rasta roko” and “rail roko”.

Mr Atul Anjan said that due to apathy of Narendra Modi government, at the centre and Alhilesh Yadav government in the state, a large number of farmers were committing suicides and migrating to cities.

Anjan said that during last March and April, crop was affected due to unscheduled rains which resulted in huge loss and a large number farmers committed suicide due to lack of proper compensation from central and state governments.

Talking about sugarcane farmers, Anjan said that private sugar mill owner’s owed Rs 8,000 crores to farmers in the state.

Despite several orders from Supreme Court and High Court the government could not ensure the payment of dues to farmers which exposed the connivance with the private sugar mill owners, Anjan charged.

Instead of giving relief to farmers, the central government gave interest-free loan to the tune of Rs 6,000 crores to private sugar mill owners, Anjan disclosed.

Atul Anjan said that pro-capitalist policies of the governments resulted in the rise in the prices of power, ethanol and liquor due to which private sugar mill owners earned profit to the tune of Rs 20,000 crores, but even then they are not willing give dues to farmers. Now the stage has come to such a pass that farmers are losing interest in sugar cane farming.

Talking about the demands, Atul Anjan said that UP Kisan Sabha would press for implementation of Swaminathan Commission on farmers report, guarantee of 50 per cent profit on the cost of production on agriculture, provision of pension of Rs 3,000 per month to farmers and agricultural labourers over the age of 60, farmers’ land should be protected from land mafia, all land acquired for SEZ but lying vacant should be returned back to farmers, government should ensure minimum work of 200 days in MGNREGA at the rate of Rs 300 per day and compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to the family of all those farmers who committed suicide.

Atul Anjan said that as a part of programme on September 1 memorandum would be given to district magistrate all over the state to be later on handed over to prime minister and the chief minister. (IPA)