Sambalpur: Thousands of farmers of several farmers’ organisations observed a three-hour bandh peacefully at 17 places in Sambalpur Friday over their demands for clearing crop insurance claims, declaration of some areas drought affected and waiver of loans among other issues.
The agitating famers blocked roads from 10 am till 1 pm at Goshalak, Remed Chhak, Charpalli, Chaunrpur, Talab, Maeswar, Jujumara, Choudhry Chhak, Jamankira, Bamra, Bhojpur, Kulundi, Sorda and Junhadihi, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded.
Passengers had a harrowing time when traffic was thrown out of gear.
The farmer leaders alleged that due to the ‘faulty policy’ of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers are unable to get crop insurance.
They added that in non-irrigated areas, farmers had been facing loss due to drought in 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2017. This year also, farmers are going to suffer crop loss due to drought like situation.
They demanded that affected farmers be paid compensation in 33 panchayats on the basis of crop cutting reports.
Another demand of the farmers is that the government should fix Minimum Support Price of paddy on the recommendations made by the Swaminathan Commission. They also demanded that the state government pays Rs 500 as bonus per quintal to farmers.
PNN