JAIPUR: The All-India Kisan Sabha has accused the Rajasthan Government of not ensuring procurement of rabi crops from farmers at the minimum support price.

The State Government, celebrating the second anniversary of its inception at present, is unmindful of the plight of the farmers and poor people who are migrating to other parts of the country due to prevailing drought conditions, it charged.

AIKS leaders Sheopath Singh and Duli Chand, president and general secretary respectively of the State committee, talking to media persons here on Tuesday said there had been no arrangement for procurement of cotton during the prime harvest season between October and November.

"Due to this reason despite good prices in the international market, the cotton farmers in Rajasthan did not benefit,'' Mr. Singh pointed out.

As for the groundnut crop, which had hit the markets now, the farmers were being forced to sell their produce to the traders at rates below the MSP. This could be the situation when the mustard crop arrives in the market as both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, at the Central level, were still debating over its MSP, AIKS leaders charged.

Rajasthan was one of the biggest producers of mustard in the country but the preparations at the ground level to procure the produce at MSP did not match requirement of the bumper crop, they noted.

"The production of gram and mustard is likely to break records this season but is the Government serious about procurement?'' Duli Chand asked pointing out that the previous year's stocks still remained in the godowns in the State due to the bureaucratic corruption. "Has the State Government informed the Centre about the estimated production of mustard and gram this season,'' he wanted to know.

The State convention of AIKS from December 23 would chalk out an agitation programme on the price front, he informed.

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