CHENNAI: Farmers’ organisations across the country on Thursday urged the LS Speaker and RS Chairperson to ensure early passage of two private member bills aimed at freeing farmers from their indebtedness and to ensure guaranteed remunerative prices for agricultural produces.
Representatives of farmers organisations met the Collectors of districts in all States and submitted representations, addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairperson, and signed by thousands of farmers hailing from even remote villages.
In Chennai, the Collector received the memorandum submitted by All India Kisan Sangharsh Committee (AIKCC) representatives who included many women farmers as well as consumers.
Thiruvallur, Pudukottai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Erode, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Karur and Trichy are the other districts where the delegations met Collectors. While the bills have been moved in the Lok Sabha by Raju Shetti, MP belonging to Swabhimani Paksha, KK Ragesh, CPM MP, moved the bills in the Rajya Sabha. Kavitha Kuruganti, member of the central working group of AIKCC and Ananthoo of Safe Food Alliance, told mediapersons that both bills - The Farmers’ Freedom from Indebtedness Bill 2018 and The Farmers’ Right to Guaranteed Remunerative Minimum Support Prices for Agricultural Commodities Bill 2018 - had the support of 21 political parties.
Among the parties which supported these bills are Congress, AIADMK, DMK, NCP, JDU-S, INC (Congress), CPM, RJD, BJD, Shiv Sena, Trinamool Congress, AAP, RLD, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Swabhimani Paksha,YSR Congress Party, TDP, TRS, Samajwadi Party, BSP, INLD, Janata Dal (S), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and CPI. However, the AIKCC did not approach the BJP because the party was acting against the interests of the farmers, it said.