Bharatiya Kisan Sangh announced to launch a nationwide month-long protest against Special Economic Zones (SEZs) from September 5 to October 5. BKS national organising secretary Shri Dinesh Kulkarni told mediapersons in Bhubaneshwar on July 28 that the Kisan Sangh would hold protest meetings at all district headquarters across the country during this period and would submit memorandums against SEZs to the concerned authorities. ?The policy of SEZ has been formulated to only satisfy the corporate lobby and the interests of the farmers have totally been ignored,? he said. He alleged that due to the faulty agriculture policy of the UPA government, farmers of the country are not getting proper price for their products. He strongly criticised the tax policy on export and import of cotton and said it was anti-farmer move on the part of the UPA Government. He suggested providing irrigation facilities to maximum agriculture land in the state. ?The Orissa Government should provide electricity to the farmers instead of selling it to other States,? he added.
Earlier, a two-day national working committee meeting of the BKS concluded in Bhubaneshwar on July 27. More than 155 delegates from across the country participated in the meeting and discussed various issues related to the farmers. National president of BKS Thakur Sankata Prasad Singh, vice-presidents Shri Babulal Verma, Shri Prithvi Singh Bascha, general secretary Baba Saheb Takwale, organisation secretary Shri Dinesh Kulkarni, Pravakar Rao Kelakar, Shri Mohini Mohan Mishra, secretary Shri Ganeshan Jiban Bhai Patel, state general secretary Shri Prafulla Kumar Das and organising secretary Shri Pradipta Kumar Ray were among the prominent leaders who attended the meeting.
(By Golak Das)
