AIKS convention to be held in Delhi on Nov 20

Gulbarga, Nov 1 (UNI) About two lakh farmers from all over the country will participate in a convention of the CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) in New Delhi on November 20 to mount pressure on the Centre to concede to their demands.

Informing this to reporters here today, AIKS State President Maruthi Manapade lamented that the special package, announced by the Centre to Vidharbha farmers in Maharashtra, did not help in checking the suicides of farmers. ''Mere announcement of special package to the farmers will not do. The Government should ensure that it reaches the farmers who bore the brunt of drought,'' he added.

He demanded that the Government implement the recommendations of the M S Swaminathan Committee, including agriculture investment and remunerative price for agriculture products.

Stating that there were 71 lakh farmers in the State, of whom only 23 lakh were enjoying Government's help, Mr Manapade appealed to the Government to conduct a nation-wide survey on how many farmers had committed suicide and the reasons behind it.

He urged the Government to constitute a State-level farmers committee to go through the problems of the agriculture sector and take steps to solve them.

He demanded that the Government impose restrictions on acquiring agricultural land for special economic zones.

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