The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) on Monday announced a protest rally of farmers in the national capital on December 19 to press their demands for increasing financial assistance under the PM Kisan scheme and removing GST on agricultural equipment and fertilisers.
BKS all-India secretary K Sai Reddy said the national executive, at its meeting in the city on October 8 and 9, decided that financial stability of farmers is paramount and to ensure that necessary steps must be taken.
“In the meeting we have decided to hold a massive protest rally — ‘Kisan Garjana Rally’ — in Delhi on December 19 and demand the central government to remove GST on agriculture inputs. We will also press for our demand that Kisan Samman Rashi should also be increased keeping inflation in mind,” Reddy said at a press conference here.
He also said several programmes will be held in October and November to aware people about the issues and the rally.
BKS general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra said farmers from across the country will participate in the rally on December 19 and draw the attention of the government towards their condition.
“Agricultural input cost has risen substantially due to 18 per cent GST on agricultural equipment and fertilisers. Despite this, farmers do not get the price of crops he deserves. So it has become imperative that this GST should be removed and the Kisan Samman Rashi should be increased in accordance with inflation,” Mishra said.
Mishra also demanded that fertiliser subsidy should be given directly in the accounts of farmers.
He said farmers are leaving agriculture and looking for other options because of the neglect by the government and less profit in farming.
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So there is a need to take such measures so that they do not leave agriculture and live their lives with dignity. The government talks about farmers and doubling their income, so it should take these steps to ensure farmer welfare, he said.
(With PTI inputs)