C'garh: Farmers' protest march to culminate in rally tomorrow

Over a thousand farmers from Chattisgarh's tribal-dominated Bastar region will hold a protest here Tuesday demanding farm loan waiver and fixing of Rs 2,500 as paddy procurement price.

The farmers had begun their march from Jagdalpur on September 10 under the banner of the Rashtriya Kisan Parishad, a farmers' outfit whose patron is former VHP leader Pravin Togadia.

"After covering a distance of 300 kilometres, the march will culminate here Tuesday and a dharna and meeting will be held at the Idgah Bhata Ground in Lakhe Nagar area here at 2pm," informed Omesh Bisen, state secretary of the RKP.

He told PTI that Togadia would also address the gathering Tuesday and will join the march at Abhanpur, about 27 kilometres from here.

Togadia is likely to lead a delegation later to Chhattisgarh Governor Anandiben Patel and submit a memorandum of farmers' demands, he said.

"The demands include waiver of all farm loans and a minimum support price of Rs 2,500 for paddy. We also want the government to disburse pending crop insurance dues of farmers, exempt farmers' vehicles from toll and implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report," Bisen said.

Assembly polls are slated for the end of this year in Chhattisgarh.