Farmers’ protest at Shivarj Singh Chouhan’s house

A large number of Congress workers and farmers, led by Madhya Pradesh Congress Chief Jitu Patwari carrying a sack of wheat on his shoulders, walked up to the official residence of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal on Wednesday and sat outside on a dharna protesting the plight of farmers, and objecting to the MP BJP government’s ‘Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana’ (price difference payment scheme).

The police tried to stop the protesters at several points along the nearly two-km route between the MP Congress Headquarters and Chouhan’s residence, but the demonstrators managed to reach the minister’s house.

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A minor scuffle also broke out between police personnel and some of the protesters carrying sacks of wheat, resulting in one sack of wheat falling on the road and the grain spilling in front of the main gate of Chouhan’s residence. Irate protesters sat around the spilled wheat and raised slogans.

Meanwhile, Chouhan came out of his residence and took Patwari and some other protesters inside for discussion. After the discussions with Chouhan, Jitu Patwari and the protesters walked back to the MP Congress headquarters.

The main objection of the protesters is against the ‘Bhavantar Yojana’, as they allege it would not provide a fair compensation to the farmers. The protesters demand that instead of the Bhavantar Yojana, the farmers must be paid the ‘Minimum Support Price’ (MSP).

The Dr Mohan Yadav-led BJP government in the state has introduced the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana for farmers to ensure they receive fair prices for their produce. The scheme provides that if grain merchants and traders in the state’s mandis purchased grains from farmers at rates lower than the MSP fixed by the Centre, the state government will pay farmers the difference between the two prices, to offset their losses.