The Hindu : National : Farmers' problems will be dealt with urgently: Manmohan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 29, 2004

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Farmers' problems will be dealt with urgently: Manmohan

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 28 . The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, today said the Government would soon bring a bill to address the needs of the aquaculture sector and also give priority to revitalising cooperative credit system.

Addressing representatives of farm organisations, animal husbandry, horticulture and aquaculture, who called on him today, Dr. Singh said the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance was a five-year programme, but urgency would be given to the problems of farmers. "Concrete steps were being taken to address the problem of agriculture credit, farm prices and technological and marketing support for farmers,'' he said.

Assuring the members of the delegation that he would seek their help from time to time, he said, "I attach great importance to interaction with farmers and people in our villages. There is no monopoly of wisdom in government. We will seek inputs on policy from the grassroots and there is need for a constant flow of information between the government and the farmers."

Sources said the farmers' representatives urged the Prime Minister to make agriculture the first strategy in resource allocation. They sought an increase in public investment with focus on farmers and rural poor, covering irrigation, electrification, construction of godowns, marketing, research and extension services.

They pleaded for an increase in investments in agriculture, credit flow in rural areas, revitalisation of the credit system and developing mechanisms for small and marginal farmers to get easier access to credit.

Several organisations sought restructuring and rescheduling of debts along with interest payable, as also a one-time settlement of dues for vulnerable sections and farming communities. Some of them wanted food laws to be simplified and codified and the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act amended and a more genuine partnership with the private sector.

There was a demand for the introduction of a farmers' life security and accident insurance policy and a farmers welfare commission in each State. Some sought a new Agriculture Policy, which would be more in with times, while some others said rather than free power supply farmers needed quality and timely supply of inputs. The All-India Kisan Sabha sought land for landless families through land reforms and for a rapid increase in rural employment.

The farmers' organisations and representatives included K. Varadha Rajan and Atul Kumar Anjan of the All-India Kisan Sabha, Chengal Reddy, Chairman of the Federation of Farmers' Association of Andhra Pradesh, Sopan Kanchan from Pune, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, MP, Vitalbhai Patel of the Mehsana Cooperative Milk Producers Union, S.C. Raghavendra of the Kisan and Khet Mazdoor Department, AICC, Bhupendra Singh Mann, and K.P. Murgesh, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Krishan Bir Choudhary of the Bharat Krishak Samaj, Bir Singh Mehto, MP, Abni Roy, MP Devendra Sharma and Sanat Kumar from Yeskay Corporation, Tomi George from Kerala, Chaudhary Ved Pal from Karnal and Narendra Bahadur Singh and Fahimujma Khan from Uttar Pradesh.

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