PALAKKAD: While the bypoll campaign in Palakkad entered its electrifying final phase, both Congress and BJP separately organised Farmer Protection Tractor Rallies on Monday to highlight the issues being faced by paddy farmers in the district.
A district considered to be the paddy warehouse of Kerala, both parties organised marches as a warning to the state government, in protest against the neglect of farmers and lack of increase in paddy procurement prices.
The tractor rally of the Congress party was organised by the District Farmer Congress Committee, and inaugurated by senior party leader and former MP K Muraleedharan. He stated that the victory of UDF candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil is essential to address the issues faced by paddy farmers in the district.
“Paddy farmers in the district are not receiving crop insurance or production bonuses. Officials are allegedly supporting the fraud perpetrated by mill owners in paddy procurement. While the central government raises procurement prices, the state government is reducing it,“ said Muraleedharan. He also suggested that the paddy procurement price should be at least `35.
UDF candidate Rahul Mamkoottathil, V K Sreekandan MP, Shafi Parambil MP, AICC secretary P V Mohanan, DCC president A Thankappan, Farmer Congress district president B Iqbal, and Mohanan Kazhchaparambil attended the event among others.
Similarly, the tractor rally of BJP organised by Karshaka Morcha, which started from Pathikkal, Kannadi, with around hundred tractors, was inaugurated by farmer and actor Krishna Prasad. He stated that the state government is consistently cutting procurement prices despite the central government increasing it annually.
The wind-up session of the rally was inaugurated by BJP state president K Surendran. He criticised both the state government and opposition for their failure to stand united for farmers’ welfare.
BJP state vice-president Sobha Surendran, NDA candidate C Krishnakumar, BJP state secretary Renu Suresh, state treasurer advocate E Krishnadas, and other leaders participated in the rally.
