Kisan Sabha Calls Off 15-Day Mahapadav in Sikar

New Delhi: The Kisan Sabha on has called off 15-day Mahapadav in front of the District Collectorate’s office in Sikar, Rajasthan, after an assurance from the District Magistrate to look into their demands. However, the agitating farmers made it clear that their movement would continue until their demands are fully met.

“If the government does not heed our demands, we will initiate a larger movement and also make it an election issue,” said some farmers.

On Wednesday, district officer Chauthiram Meena personally visited the Mahapadav site to give out an assurance to the agitating farmers.

The Mahapadav is part of various agitations in Sikar district of Rajasthan in the past three years where farmers have been on dharna, and protests.

Accusing both the BJP and Congress governments in the Centre and the state for giving false assurances to farmers, the Kisan Sabha members said they would campaign against both the parties in the Lok Sabha elections.

The key demands of farmers include, government purchase of onions, establish a mandi for onions in Rasidpura, check corrption in the cooperative committee, complete loan waiver for farmer, unemployment dole and fair price for milk.

The district collector was reportedly postitive about all these demands, assuring farmers of market intervention as well as expressed hope that farmers would soon get fair price for their onion crop.

On the demand for a mandi, he said he had spoken to agriculture department, adding that a meeting on allotment of shops in Rasidpura is scheduled to be held on March 20-21, and that the allotments would be done by March 22.

After this assurance, former MLA and Kisan Sabha National Vice-President Amra Ram announced the postponement of the Mahapadav.

Earlier, addressing farmers, Amra Ram said neither the Modi government at the Centre nor th state government had kept its promises to farmers. Leave alone doubling income, farmers were not even getting half the amount of the input costs, he added.