Following massive farmers’ protests, the Madhya Pradesh government raised the moong procurement limit to 60%, extended procurement deadlines, suspended the fertiliser e-token system, and farmers withdrew their agitation.
Photo : PTI
The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday (July 29) raised the limit of moong procurement to 60 per cent from 25 per cent after farmers of the state launched massive protests. The development came following talks between representatives of the state government and farmer leaders at the state secretariat.
The MP government made the announcement of increasing the limit of procurement of moong crop after thousands of farmers marched to within about a km of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s residence. They also staged demonstration outside Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s house.
The government’s decision will come into effect immediately. for farmers producing around three quintals of moong per acre in districts such as Narmadapuram, Sehore and Harda, an official statement said. It also added that efforts would be made to extend the benefit to the maximum number of cultivators. The government also extended the last date for procurement from August 10 to August 20 and the slot-booking deadline from July 30 to August 10.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state also decided to constitute a committee to examine complaints and practical difficulties relating to the e-token system for fertiliser distribution and recommend improvements.
Till the committee submits its recommendations and necessary changes are carried out, the e-token-based fertiliser distribution system will remain suspended with immediate effect, the minister said as reported by PTI.
Some farmer leaders initially maintained their demand for procurement of 100 per cent of the moong crop at the minimum support price (MSP) and said a final decision would be taken after consulting all stakeholders and that the agitation would continue, reported the news agency.
However, shortly afterwards, Prateek Sharma, state coordinator of the Rashtravadi Kisan Army, told PTI Video that the farmers were satisfied with the government’s decisions and all participating organisations had jointly decided to withdraw the agitation.
Additional Superintendent of Police Shailendra Singh Chouhan told PTI that the protesting farmers had accepted the government’s announcements and were returning to their homes. He said buses had been arranged to ensure their safe return from Roshanpura Square.
Earlier on Wednesday, thousands of farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and 18 other organisations had breached multiple barricades, demonstrated outside Chouhan’s residence and camped at Roshanpura Square, prompting the state government to initiate talks.
The farmers had demanded procurement of the entire summer moong crop at MSP, abolition of the e-token system for fertiliser distribution and timely availability of adequate fertilisers for the next sowing season.