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Give immediate relief to farmers: CPI (M)

Special Correspondent

‘The cold wave has damaged almost the entire mustard, vegetables and potato crops’

JAIPUR: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has demanded immediate relief for Rajasthan farmers affected by crop damages due to the cold wave conditions and frost. The damage to mustard, vegetables and potato crops was almost total while 20-50 per cent of the standing wheat crop in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts was affected, the party said.

The members of the CPI (M) Rajasthan State Secretariat, who returned here after a tour of Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Sikar and Nagaur districts, said there was widespread resentment among the farmers over the Government not extending any relief to the affected farmers. The farmers of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh have decided to keep the agricultural mandis closed on Friday as a mark of protest, they said.

“Both the Centre and the State are playing politics with the farmers. Immediate relief should be provided to the affected farmers from the calamity relief fund,” CPI (M) State Secretary Vasudev demanded. He said the party would fully support the proposed farmers’ bandh on Friday.

The CPI (M) State Secretariat also sought a survey of the deaths caused by the cold wave conditions during the current season and payment of adequate relief to the kin of the deceased.

As in the case of urban centres, shelters should be set up in rural areas also to help the poor and the destitute to ward off intense and unprecedented cold wave conditions, it said.

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