Addressing the 'Kisan Parliament' organised by BJP's Kisan Morcha, party president Nitin Gadkari said a nationwide three-day agitation will be held from May 15 to protest against the UPA's "anti-farmer policies".
"These anti-farmer policies of the Congress-led UPA government are responsible for farmers committing suicides in the country. There is a total apathy from government side to the basic needs of farmers such as water and electricity required to irrigate their fields," he said.
Party workers at all district headquarters across the country will protest against the anti-farmer policies by burning effigies of the government on May 15, 16 and 17, he said.
Targeting the government over wastage of foodgrains, Gadkari said despite the absence of enough storage facilities in the country, the farmers are not allowed to export their produce.
"There is no godown to store food grains. Last year grains worth Rs 58,000 crore rotted and Planning Commission experts have said that this year grains worth Rs 85,000 crore will rot...We have surplus production of wheat and rice but farmers are not getting license to export their produce," Gadkari said.
Last year, the Supreme Court had asked the government to distribute the food grain to poor but, "it was not done and the produce was allowed to rot and so that it can be sold to liquor manufacturers later at the rate of Rs 2-3 per kilo," he alleged.
Demanding better policies to benefit farmers and schemes to increase farm productivity in the country, Gadkari suggested several measures to address the issue. (More)