Government policies are anti-farmer: BKU

Hardwar, June 18 (UNI) Terming the Central and state government policies 'anti-farmer', President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait today said agriculture should be brought in the focus of the economic development of the country.

Talking to mediapersons here on the concluding day of the three-day annual Maha Kumbh of farmers, the BKU supremo demanded remunerative prices for the produce of the farmers.

''The prices of the crops should be determined by the government on the basis of the price index of the market and the price of wheat purchased by the government from the farmers in the country should be on a par with that exported from other countries.'' Mr Tikait also demanded that the amount of old age pension for farmers should be raised to Rs 500 per month and all their loans waived by the Central and state governments.

''The sugar cane and paddy arrears should at once be cleared and a uniform amount of compensation of Rs 2,000 per bigha should be paid to the drought-affected farmers in different parts of the country,'' said Mr Tikait.

He also asked the Central government to work out a diesel policy to avoid the inconvenience caused to farmers by the fluctuating prices of diesel in the market.

Mr Tikait urged the farmers participating in the event to unite and strengthen the BKD, the political wing of the BKU, to exert pressure on the Central and the state governments to adopt pro-farmer policies.

The event was attended by thousands of farmers from the northern states, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and Rajasthan.

UNI