Rakesh Tikait: Protests to protect farmer interests to be intensified in Himachal Pradesh

Tribune News Service

Mandi, June 23

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said here today that protests to protect farmers’ interests would be intensified in Himachal Pradesh. Tikait, while addressing mediapersons, said that to promote tourism in the state, the government was focusing on expanding the network of the Railways and national highways, power projects and airports.

“To achieve this purpose, agricultural land of farmers is being acquired for development projects. However, farmers are still struggling for fair compensation for their land being acquired,” he added.

He said, “The farmers affected by the highway widening projects in the state have been demanding four times higher compensation for their land, as per the market rates, which is specified in the Land Acquisition Act 2013. However, the government is reluctant to provide them fair compensation”.

“Our fight will continue to protect the rights of farmers in Himachal as well as across the country. Efforts will be made to unite farmers on burning issues concerning them,” he added.

Tikait said that the state government was planning to construct an airport in the Balh valley of Mandi district where land is quite fertile. The farmers of the region were not ready to give their land for the project, so the government should construct the airport somewhere else, he added.

“We have been requesting the Central and state governments to purchase paddy crops on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) rates and keep away big companies from the food chain,” he said. “I am on a six-day tour of Himachal to hold meetings with farmers. Soon, a draft related to the demands of farmers will be submitted to the state government for further action,” he added.

He said, “We urge the state government to provide subsidy on the transportation of fruits and vegetables to the farmers in the state”. Meanwhile, the office-bearers of the Fourlane Sangharsh Samiti met to Tikait and sought his support for an agitation in support of their demands.

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