- Farmers hands over a bag full of applicants to Deora
Chronicle Reporter Bhopal
Farmers from across the state, protesting against rising electricity rates and low crop prices, have called off their demonstration after Deputy CM Jagdish Deora met them at the protest site. The farmers had planned to march to Vallabh Bhavan (State Secretariat), but Deora arrived before that, stating, “The government has come to you before you had to come to us.”
Key developments:
Deputy CM assures farmers: Deora promised to address all grievances and emphasized the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare.
Farmers submit complaints: They handed over a bag full of petitions detailing issues like land revenue disputes, demarcation delays, and corruption in approvals.
Allegations of exploitation: Farmers accused the government of offering false promises on crop prices and complained about rampant bribery in administrative processes, including land records and permissions.
Farmers’ frustrations:
“Bribes for everything” – A farmer from Harda shared that even for a minor document change, bribes were mandatory, involving higher officials as well.
“Ignored after elections” – Another farmer expressed frustration, stating, “Once we vote them in, they leave us to struggle.”
Economic struggles – Complaints included delayed payments from procurement centers and denial of permissions for tree-cutting on private land.
Heavy police deployment
Due to Global Investors Summit preparations, farmers were barred from main roads and protested on a service road instead. Police had barricaded Vallabh Bhavan, anticipating a march, but the intervention of Deputy CM Deora led to a peaceful resolution.
