Sunil lambasts Nitish govt in House; seeks sops for farmers

Biscomaun Chairman Sunil Singh lambasted the Nitish govt last week in the Bihar Legislative Council on the issue of “doing too little, too late” for the farmers of the state. Equipped with facts and figures, the cooperator turned politician quoted from the govt data to prove his point.

Comparing the procurement from the farmers of the state, Biscomaun Chairman said the figure for the state is hopeless when one compares it to other states such as Chhattisgarh. The state agencies have merely procured 35 lakh tonnes of grains from the state.

Quoting from the govt portal, Sunil Singh said that about 1.68 crore people are registered in govt data as farmers. The govt data itself concedes that the procurement has been done merely from 4.97 lac of farmers. Can we double farmers’ income like this, Sunil was at his satirical best.

One is tired of hearing from the Nitish govt that all ills are due to the RJD rule. But now this govt is there for three consecutive terms. Is that not enough to improve the situation if one has the purity of intention, Biscomaun Chairman said in a scathing attack in the House.

Sunil also referred to the prevailing high rate of interest on agricultural credit in the state and exposed the government’s indifference to the plight of state farmers. Quoting from Telangana, Chhattisgarh and many other states, Sunil proved how Bihar’s farmers have to pay one of the highest interest rates in the country for KCCs.

It is no secret that the procurement of grains from the farmers on MSP is a hoax in Bihar as well as in many other states. The nexus between politicians, middle men and PACS officials ensures that a poor farmer is compelled to sell his produce in the market at a much lower rate than the MSP.

The grain merchant in collusion with PACS officials and politicians sells the produce back to the PACS, pocketing a huge margin from the MSP scheme. So the system works for everybody except the poor farmers, said a commentator.

No wonder, Sunil’s figure showed only about five lac farmers out of more than 1.5 crore benefitting from the scheme. Besides, Sunil also raised the issue of high tariff of electricity in the state. Quoting again figures culled from reliable sources after painstaking efforts, Sunil declared that Bihar ranks the top five states where farmers have to pay heavy tariff for electricity.

“Sunil’s outburst proved how important it is for co-operators to enter politics if the plight of farmers is to be improved’, said one of the co-operators from Bihar. Co-operators of the state were also amused by a typical style of Sunil’s speech where he would be respectful in his address and scathing in his attack. His prefixing “Hujoor” (Sir) to each statement amused one and all.