Ludhiana, July 10
The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has sought increase in minimum support price of different crops on the basis of the wholesale price index. The rate of average quality paddy should be Rs 689 per quintal, of super fine paddy variety, Rs 753 per quintal, of oil seeds, Rs 2,860 per quintal, of cotton, Rs 3,250 per quintal and of sugarcane, Rs 143 per quintal, they demanded.
In a press note issued here, Mr Bhupinder Singh Mahesri, general secretary of the Punjab unit of the BKU, said, “ The sowing of the paddy and other seasonal crops has been almost over, and the government has not again kept its promise of announcing the minimum support price before the sowing of the crops.” He criticised the dilly-dallying attitude of the Union Government towards the farmers.
Mr Sukhminder Singh Sarpanch, senior vice-president of the district unit of BKU, said, “Though the government has released grants for the construction of roads and drainage system in the rural area, but the roads have become ponds in most of the cases due to bad planning and the rain water has accumulated there. The government should ensure the construction of the roads and proper drainage system after the rains.”
He further asked the state government to raise the standard of education in the villages and ensure teacher-student ratio according to ratio in the urban areas. Expressing his concern about the decreasing standard of education, he demanded that the government should fill up the posts of teachers of biology, physics and other subjects, and material in laboratories in the village schools.
Both the leaders condemned the increasing corruption in the state. Prof Manjit Singh Kadia, state general secretary, said as part of the farmers’ struggle, the BKU would hold a kisan rally at Sangrur on July 11 and at Jalandhar on July 13.
