Concern in LS over farmers' plight; Oppn for stimulus package

New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) Concern was voiced in the Lok
Sabha (lower house of Parliament) on Monday over the plight of
farmers, with Opposition members demanding a stimulus package
for agriculture and a special session of Parliament to discuss
the problems in the countryside.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Rajnath Singh (BJP)
also wanted that MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act) should be linked with agriculture as
there was crisis of skilled labour for working in the fields
after the scheme was brought into force.
Singh, who was supported by several opposition members,
sought declaration of farming as a 'national occupation',
given the fact that majority of the population depended upon
agriculture.
He also wanted immediate implementation of the M S
Swaminathan Committee recommendations to tackle the "grim
situation" facing the agriculture sector.
Singh, who recently visited coastal Andhra Pradesh, said
he was concerned over the decision of farmers of about eight
districts including East Godavari not to produce paddy in view
of not getting remunerative prices. "They are not able to
recover even input costs," he said.
He said the farmers from the area have declared "a crop
holiday or a strike which is an unprecedented development in
the agriculture sector in the country" and could affect food
security.
Maintaining that a similar situation was facing farmers in
other parts of the country too, Singh sought Rs 10,000 per
acre as compensation to the affected farmers.
His party colleague K D Deshmukh pointed towards severe
shortage of fertiliser in Balaghat and Seoni areas of Madhya
Pradesh.