AIKS Holds Protests Across Maharashtra over Farmers' Demands

Mumbai, Jun 1 (PTI) The Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) today held protests across Maharashtra, accusing the BJP government of not keeping the promises it had made to farmers last month.

Farmers' organisations also called for a 10-day agitation to protest the state government's apathy towards farmers.

"Protests were held in 23 districts in Maharashtra today," AIKS general secretary Ajit Navle said.

The AIKS had led a march of thousands of farmers from Nashik in north Maharashtra to Mumbai earlier this year to press demands such as complete and unconditional loan waiver and transfer of forest land rights to tribals.

"A meeting of farmers' organisations will be convened in Mumbai tomorrow to discuss the demands," Navle told PTI.

The government failed to act on the assurance it had given to farmers, he alleged.

"The government had announced that a committee would be formed to look into the issue of loan waiver. It had also announced that it would give a fair price for farm produce.

"The government had also assured that forest rights would be given to tribal farmers, but so far it has not acted on any of the promises," he alleged.

Meanwhile, farmers held a protest outside the tehsil office at Akole in Ahmednagar district for their demands today.

Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, Kisan Kranti Jan-andolan and Kisan EktaManch said in a statement that government had failed to fulfil assurances given last year during the farmers' strike for loan waiver and mini GVS

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