Bhopal, June 3: Kunal Chaudhary, National Secretary of the All India Congress Committee, has expressed deep concern over the plight of farmers in Madhya Pradesh. He stated that while the state government is celebrating a Farmer Welfare Year, the reality is that it exists only on paper.
During a press conference at the state Congress office in Bhopal, Chaudhary emphasized that Madhya Pradesh, an agriculture-dependent state, is witnessing a façade of farmer welfare celebrations. He pointed out that farmers from all backgrounds are suffering and helpless.
Chaudhary highlighted the issues faced by banana farmers in the Burhanpur, Khandwa, and Khargone districts of the Nimar region. He noted that a severe storm in the past few days has devastated banana crops in areas including Shahpura, Khapa, Dhamangaon, Loni, Bahadurgarh, Bolana, and Dariyapur.
Initial assessments indicate that banana farmers have incurred losses exceeding ₹150 crores. However, government officials seem preoccupied with communal issues rather than addressing the dire situation of farmers. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and local legislators appear indifferent to improving the plight of the food producers.
Citing the policies of the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, Chaudhary mentioned that wheat produced without chemical fertilizers is purchased at ₹8,000 per quintal, while maize is bought at ₹5,000 per quintal. In contrast, Madhya Pradesh lacks such supportive policies. Farmers here are not even recovering their production costs and face harassment during protests.
Rejecting the survey orders issued by the Chief Minister, Chaudhary argued that these surveys are merely a means to deceive farmers. For instance, if a farmer has 10,000 banana trees and 4,000 are damaged in a storm, the government survey would only recognize a 25-30% loss. However, the remaining 6,000 trees, shaken by the storm, are also rendered useless.
The cost to cultivate a banana plant is ₹150, and with a good harvest this season, farmers expected to earn ₹350 to ₹400 per plant. Many farmers are now burdened with debts of up to ₹5 lakh per hectare. Yet, the government offers only ₹2 lakh in inadequate compensation, which will be decided months later. Therefore, Congress demands that affected areas be compensated for 100% losses without any superficial surveys.
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