Cong MLAs call off protest over farmer issue in MP House

Failing to get an assurance from the Madhya Pradesh government on the issue of compensation for rain and hailstorm-hit farmers, the Congress MLAs today called off their agitation after staging a three-day protest in the state Assembly.
"Following the sit-in protest and indefinite hunger strike, two of our MLAs - Umang Singhar and Madhu Bhagat - fell seriously ill and they would be shifted to hospital soon," Leader of Opposition Satyadev Katare told reporters outside the Assembly gate.
"After deliberating on the issue for long, we have decided to call off our first phase of agitation," he said.
The Assembly security officials also served a notice to the agitating members last night directing them to vacate the premises immediately.

Katare said that they are not calling off their agitation because of the notice and have submitted a reply to it in the Assembly.
The farmers are being harassed for electricity dues and not being given compensation by the concerned officials. The MLAs are getting large number of calls from their respective areas on the issue, he said.

"Therefore, we have decided to launch our second phase of agitation in our respective areas from today itself," Katare said.
The Congress legislators had yesterday intensified their protest on the issue of compensation for rain and hailstorm- hit farmers and had begun hunger strike.

Dissatisfied with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's reply on the discussion over the issue of providing relief to the farmers during the March 24 day-long session to pass supplementary budget, the Congress members had staged a sit-in protest in the well of the House even after the Assembly was adjourned sine die by Speaker Sitasharan Sharma.
The Congress demanded compensation to the farmers in districts where crops were damages due to unseasonal rains.
The party has demanded Rs 150 per quintal bonus for wheat, waiving of electricity bills of farmers for single- point connection and water pumps, and suspending recovery of loans, among others.