Maharashtra Congress Plans Protest To Highlight Agrarian Distress
The party has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments at the Centre and in the state of failing farmers: Reports
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Congress has announced a district-wise mobilisation to highlight agrarian distress, with a farmer outreach initiative scheduled in Buldhana district on Monday. Led by state Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal, the ‘Annadata Sangharsh Padyatra’ will march from Manegaon to Jalgaon Jamod, concluding with a public meeting at Durga Chowk.
The party has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led governments at the Centre and in the state of failing farmers, citing low crop prices, rising input costs, and increasing suicides in Maharashtra.
In a statement, the state Congress alleged that farmers have been pushed into distress over the past 12 years of BJP-led governments at both the Centre and in Maharashtra. As part of its campaign, the party will undertake the march in Buldhana district on Monday, with around 5,000 participants, including farmers.
A senior Congress leader said farmers are not receiving fair prices for their produce, while rising inflation has made farming increasingly unviable. The leader also claimed that Maharashtra records the highest number of farmer suicides in the country, alleging inadequate measures by the BJP government for farmers’ welfare. Party leaders, office-bearers and farmers are expected to participate in the padyatra.
According to the party, the march is being organised to press for several demands, including a blanket farm loan waiver and clearing of land records (7/12 extracts), a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), and remunerative prices — Rs 8,000 per quintal for soybean and gram, Rs 12,000 for cotton, and Rs 10,000 for tur (pigeon pea). Other demands include removal of conditions on crop loans, provision of Rs 40,000 per acre per season as crop loans, exemption of agricultural inputs from GST, establishment of agro-processing industries, issuance of caste certificates to tribal communities, and filling vacant posts of Zilla Parishad teachers.
The senior leader added that the party plans to organise two padyatras every month in each district to raise issues concerning farmers and common citizens, with each march expected to cover around 22 kilometres. “It will help party workers and cadres remain active on the ground,” he said.
Similar padyatras were previously held in Dharashiv, Beed and Hingoli, and were attended by senior leaders, including Praniti Shinde.
