Farmers' body holds conference
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 14 2012:
Plight of rural area agricultural workers and lack of Government initiative to ameliorate their woes figured prominently at the one-day State Conference of Manipur Silang Loumee Lup at Manipur Press Club today.
Highlighting that majority of the Manipuri population are farmers or agricultural workers, former MLA Dr M Nara Singh said rather than framing policies to assist the farmer community the Government continues to hike prices of essential commodities frequently.
While noting that hike in prices of cooking gas and transport fuels are having adverse effect on farmers, the CPI leader lamented that economic condition of the farmers would further worsen this year as insufficient rainfall would consequently mean decline in agricultural activities.
apart from imminent reduction in paddy production, agricultural labourers of the State would have less work and thus few income generation sources, he said.
Suggesting that the state Government work out a policy for extending material or financial assistance such as pension to the elderly farmers and agricultural workers, Dr Nara also stressed on streamlining the PDS mechanism.
Contending that PDS items are being denied to the general public due to influential but corrupt individuals trading off the essential commodities, he further suggested that each family living under the poverty line be provided 35 kg of rice at subsidised rate every month.
Dr Nara also cited huge expenditure during elections as the main factor for India staring at economic crisis and alleged that policies of the present Central Government are anti-poor and pro-rich.
Elaborating on the contention, he pointed to waiving interest on loan procured by industrialists compared to reluctance of the Government to provide rice to the poor people.
To protest the Centre's anti-poor policies a massive demonstration is being planned at Delhi on November 1, he informed.
In his address, All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur State unit general secretary L Sotinkumar decried failure of the Government of India to frame a policy for the betterment of the agricultural labourers or to safeguard their rights.
members of farmer community, agricultural workers and Lup functionaries also attended the conference.