Balurghat: Farmers stage demonstration with five-point demands

South Dinajpur Farmers’ Association staged a demonstration in Balurghat with five-point demands on Wednesday, including reducing the price of chemical fertilisers, sale of agricultural products at profitable prices, procurement of paddy through the Duare Sarkar camps at the price declared by the government, simplification in registration of ownership of agricultural land and permanent farmers’ market in Balurghat municipal area.

Thousands of farmers of the district protested in front of the district administration office.

Sanjay Mondal, Secretary of the association, said: “We are being forced to hit the streets for the negligence of the government towards us. All the political parties do several assurances before the polls but they seldom keep their promises. We were deprived and following the negligence, we placed five-point demands before the District Magistrate. We will keep the DM closed at the office if our demands are not fulfilled.”

According to Mondal, a farmers’ wholesale market should be arranged for the farmers in the Balurghat municipal area immediately. “We are moving here and there because of the decision of the local administration and it needs to end. Besides, the Centre should make provision for year-round supply of chemical fertilisers at declared prices. Farmers have to pay remunerative prices for their crops and each farmer’s produce has to be procured through a door-to-door government system at the price announced by the government,” he said.

Mondal said the ownership registration needs to be simplified by deed and certificate system while the price of electric bills should be reduced for farmers to provide water to the land and other facilities.