Mysore/Mysuru: Asserting that the agrarian community is in deep distress due to COVID crisis, unremunerative farm prices, non payment of dues for agriculture produce  and faulty policies of the Government, farmers under the banner of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here yesterday seeking fulfilment of their demands.

Maintaining that the Government is yet to pay Minimum Support Price (MSP) dues to farmers, the protesters alleged that thousands of farmers are yet to get relief under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and that sugar factories owe thousands of crores of rupees to farmers, that has accumulated over the years.

They urged the Government to fulfil their 13-point charter of demands which chiefly included formation of a Committee to estimate farmer losses due to COVID crisis, rolling back of GST and SGST on farming equipment, free distribution of sowing seeds and subsidy for fertilisers and pesticides, extension of MGNREG Scheme to cover all agricultural activities, payment of dues for all farm produce procurements made under MSP, establishment of more paddy procurement centres and  dropping of land acquisition for Mysuru-Bantwal National  Highway, which destroys vast scathe of farm lands all along the route, among others. The farmers later presented a memorandum containing their charter of demands at the DC’s Office. 

KRRS President Badagalapura Nagendra, office-bearers Hoskote Basavaraju, Puneeth, Vijayendra, Kumar, Chandrashekar and others  were present.