Raman's farmer policy under Sangh scanner

Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, an affiliated organization of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), had castigated the Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh for keeping cap on paddy procurement.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government headed by Raman Singh had announced to procure only 10 quintal of paddy behind every acre of land from farmers in the kharif marketing season 2014-15. Earlier, there was no cap on the quantity of paddy purchased by the state government at minimum support price (MSP).

Drawing criticism from opposition party, chief minister came out in defence. He explained that lack of storage facility had restricted the state government to purchase paddy from the farmers. In the last kharif marketing season, Chhattisgarh government had purchased about 8 million tonnes of paddy at MSP besides giving a bonus of Rs 300 per quintal.

The BJP government had come under the fire not only from the farmers' bodies and opposition parties, but also from the organization that had been affiliated to it. BKS, a frontal organization of the RSS working among the farmers, had castigated the Chhattisgarh government for putting cap on procurement quantity.

"We strongly condemn the decision of Chhattisgarh government to restrict the quantity of paddy procured and demand to restore the old practice of purchasing every grain of paddy from the farmers," BKS President Annasaheb Murkute and General Secretary Prabhakar Kelkar said. The issue came up in the four-day national executive council meet of BKS that concluded here today.

If the state government was really reeling under storage problem, then it should opt for paddy procurement twice, the BKS leaders said. They also demanded that the bonus of Rs 300 announced by the state government for every quintal of paddy should also be granted to the farmers as promised by the ruling BJP in its election manifesto.

The BKS leaders had sought time with the chief minister to discuss the issues. "We would give deadline of November 25 for rolling back the order pertaining to cap on paddy procurement before finalizing the next course of action," the BKS leaders said, adding that they would mount pressure on Central and State government in the larger interest of the farmers.