Guj Congress leaders meet Governor over farmers' issues

Gujarat Congress leaders today called on Governor O P Kohli and handed over a memorandum seeking his intervention to solve various issues concerning farmers.
Among the issues raised in the memorandum are low Minimum Support Price (MSP) and inadequate electricity and water supply for farmers.
The memorandum, alleging inaction by BJP-led Gujarat government in addressing these issues concerning farmers, was handed over to Kohli at Raj Bhavan by a Congress delegation led by state party chief Bharatsinh Solanki and leader of opposition in Gujarat Assembly, Shankersinh Vaghela.
The Congress urged the Governor to draw government's attention to these problems and bring a solution at the earliest, said a party release.

In the memorandum, Congress alleged that due to the anti-farmer policies of the government, farmers have broken financially and mentally.
Congress demanded that farmers should be supplied electricity for irrigation purpose for at least 16 to 18 hours.

Congress leaders also alleged that the government has failed to provide adequate water supply for irrigation in several parts of the state.
Other demands raised through the memorandum include waiving of agricultural loans and abolition of VAT on fertiliser.
Congress demanded that state government buy farm produce as per the promise given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of Lok Sabha polls in 2014.

"Modi once said that farmers must get 50 per cent profit in addition to the cost. He promised to give Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 1,200 for groundnut and Rs 1,500 for cotton. Thus, we want the government to keep that promise and buy agri produce as per the promised MSP," said the memorandum.