Farmers' organisations join hands to press their demands

Representatives of over 60 peasants' organisations from across the country have formed 'Kisaan Ekta' to fight for the cause of farmers under "one banner" at the Third National Conference of Farmers here.
The three-day conference resolved to press for constitution of income commission for farmers, waving of loans of farmers and the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report.
It resolved to emerge as a major force to compel the political parties to keep the farmers' issues on the top of their agenda in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, coordinator of the conference Devinder Sharma said.
Asserting that the condition of farmers in the country was "pathetic", he said that the annual income of 52 crore farmers was about Rs 20,000 crore and more than 3.20 lakh farmers had committed suicide the past two decades.

The salary of lowest paid employee would be about Rs 23,000 after the implementation of Seventh Pay Commission report but the income of farmers was less than Rs 2,000, he said and stressed on constitution of income commission for farmers to ensure some minimum sustainable income.
"When the government can give tax exemptions to the tune of Rs 48 lakh crore to the corporate sector, why the loans of poor farmers, who are really not in a position to return the loans, should not be waived?" he said.
He asked the government to implement the Swaminathan Commission Report which had recommended fixation of Minimum Support Price for agriculture crops on the basis of actual cost of production plus 50 per cent profit.

He said that unless the government is compelled to address the issues of farmers, their plight will remain pathetic.