All India Kisan Sabha demands M.P., Chhattisgarh farm loan waiver cut-off dates extended – The Hindu

The farm loan waivers announced by the new Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh should have their cut-off dates extended to December 2018, the All India Kisan Sabha has demanded.

The governments had set a cut-off date of March 31, 2018. “That does not take into account the loans which are carried over,” said Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the AIKS.

The group , which has carried out several major protest marches over the last year demanding loan waivers and higher minimum support prices for farmers, said that the recent Assembly poll verdict was the result of farmers’ agitations. It said it would hold protests to keep the spotlight on farmers’ demands and to hold the State and Central governments accountable

“On January 8 and 9, we will observe a nationwide strike of rural areas, a Gramin Bharat Bandh,” Mr. Mollah said on Tuesday. The protest, which also includes plans for a rail roko, will be carried out in coordination with the Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan, he said.

A 10-day farmers strike in June had stopped the transport of milk, fruits and vegetables and other perishable farm produce from villages to the cities in certain parts of the country. The Gramin Bandh scheduled for January will also be in solidarity with the industrial strike call issued by 10 national trade unions for the same dates.

Later in the month, the AIKS will join hands with ex-servicemen’s associations to hold a dharna at Parliament Street in Delhi on January 27, in the run-up to the budget session of Parliament.