Admin assure to resolve problems within week, otherwise warns of massive agitation
Prayagraj: Under the leadership of Anuj Singh, the youth state president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), a “camp, surround, and hold a Kisan Samman Mahapanchayat” was organized at the Stone Church in Civil Lines on Tuesday. Thousands of farmers arrived with tractors from various areas of Prayagraj, including Meja, Koraon, Bara, Karchana, Phulpur, Soraon, Handia, Kaundhiara, and Shankargarh. The farmers raised their voices strongly against the administration regarding their various demands.
At the Mahapanchayat, farmers demanded adequate fertilizer availability during the Kharif season. They demanded uninterrupted power supply of 16 to 18 hours in rural areas, and technical inspections of smart meters. They also demanded connecting villages connected to tubewell feeders to consumer feeders, increasing the capacity of overloaded transformers, and stopping frequent power outages.
Farmers demanded appropriate compensation based on the previous circle rate in the event of land acquisition, withdrawal of the process of declaring agricultural land as green belts, permanent arrangements for protecting crops from stray animals, and construction of cow shelters in every block. Demands were also made for the speedy completion of the incomplete cattle shed in Sonbarsa village of Shankargarh and the appointment of veterinary doctors in all gram panchayats.
Apart from this, the farmers also prominently raised the demand for withdrawal of house tax, sewer tax and water tax imposed without providing basic facilities in the villages included in the Municipal Corporation limits. Following the Mahapanchayat, a delegation of the BKU held talks with the ADM (Administration), the DCP, and officials from relevant departments. All the farmers’ demands were discussed in detail during the talks. The administration took a positive stance on all points and assured to initiate necessary action within a week.
Addressing the Mahapanchayat, Youth State President Anuj Singh said that the Bharatiya Kisan Union will continue to fight for the rights and dignity of farmers. He added that if the administration does not resolve the problems within the stipulated time, the organization will work with the farmers to formulate a further strategy and launch a statewide movement.
