Farmers continued their protests against the policies of the Central government towards them and dumped agriculture produce and milk on the roads at several places in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday.
The farmers, under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), started a 10-day protest on Friday in seven states, imposing a blockade on movement of agriculture produce and milk from rural areas to urban centres.
The farmers' organisations are demanding immediate implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report on farming, giving minimum support price to farmers for their produce, waiving loans of farmers and helping farmers to make agriculture cost effective.
BKU President Balbir Singh Rajewal said farmers were forced to start the protest as the Central government was not helping the farming community at all.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday described the ongoing protest by farmers as a sign of their desperation in the face of the wrongs being perpetrated on them by the Central government.
Talking to media at the Haryana Raj Bhavan here after the swearing-in of the new Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Amarinder Singh said the farming community in the country was in the grip of a serious crisis due to the indifferent attitude of the BJP-led Central government.
"The government has failed to provide any succour to the beleaguered farmers, who are unable to make both ends meet due to its antagonistic policies. Despite repeated pleas by Punjab and other state governments, the Centre has failed to come to the rescue of the farming community," he said.
"Farmers are committing suicide due to their mounting debt burdens as agriculture is no longer financially viable for them in view of the inadequate MSP. The in toto implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report is the only long-term solution to the agrarian crisis in the country," he added.
--IANS
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