BKU takes out padyatra in protest

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, July 25

Activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) today took out a 12-km-long ‘padyatra’ from Dulhera village to Jhajjar city in protest against the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister through the Jhajjar SDM.

Decrying Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar for his remark on promoting the scheme like actor Salman Khan promotes his films, the protesters accused the minister of misleading the farmers by showing them false dreams while the facts were quite different.

Significantly, Dhankar had also taken out a ‘padyatra’ on the same route four days ago to propagate the scheme as well as to motivate the farmers to adopt the scheme so that they could protect themselves from losses caused by natural calamities to their crops. He also termed it as the ‘best ever scheme’ to bail the farmers out of crisis.

“The scheme is nothing except to benefit the insurance companies as no formula has been chalked out to assess the loss to crops by natural calamities. Several loopholes have deliberately been left in the scheme which are against the interests of the farmers,” said Ratan Singh Mann, state president of the BKU, while taking to mediapersons in Dulhera village.

Appealing the farmers not to adopt the scheme, he said the BKU would oppose the insurance companies if they tried to impose the scheme on the farmers. “We want a solution to the problem through discussion with the Chief Minister,” Mann added.

Govt ready to consider suggestions: Abhimanyu

Rewari: Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu said the government was ready to consider suggestions regarding the scheme. He was replying to a question while interacting with the media after addressing a meet of party workers here on Monday. The minister made it clear no one had approached the government with any suggestion. — TNS