Bundelkhand turning into graveyard of farmers due to flawed policies of state govt: Lallu

Jhansi: UP Congress president Ajay Kumar

Lallu

on Saturday said that Bundelkhand was becoming a graveyard of farmers as many of them have died by suicide owing to mounting loans and crop failure. Lallu, in a telephonic conversation with TOI during his three-day-tour to Bundelkhand to meet the families of farmers who recently ended their lives, attributed their suicides to the ‘anti-farmer policies’ of the state government.

“Thousands of migrant labourers who have returned to their native places, are still jobless despite the many schemes floated by the state government which are all superficial,” said Lallu

“Let alone jobs, most of them are yet to receive the monthly Rs 1,000 grant which the state government had promised during the lockdown,” he added.

He further said that due to the flawed and anti-farmer policies of the Yogi government, farmers of Bundelkhand are forced to end their lives as their crops are failing and loans are mounting on their heads.

“Bundelkhand is turning into a graveyard of farmers. There are rampant suicides taking place here and the government is unable to do anything. The insurance companies are running away without paying compensations and the CM Yogi is not taking any cognizance of the issue. It seems that the CM too is a part of this huge insurance scam the farmers are falling victim to,” said Lallu.

Apart from this, the UPCC president added that a large number of illegal mining activities are being carried out in the region and the administration is turning a blind eye to it. However, if a farmer is found transporting even a few sacks of red mud from his farm, he is booked for illegal mining, said Lallu.

When asked why the former UPA government was not successful in implementing Bundelkhand Package and MNREGA scheme during their rule, he said that it was MNREGA that proved to be the lifeline of thousands of migrants during the lockdown.

“It was due to the efforts of Rahul Gandhi that the Bundelkhand Package could be made possible. It has helped thousands of farmers in getting rid of debts, and has given work to them, thereby developing the rural areas. But due to the hindrances created by the BSP, SP and BJP during their successive rules the package could not be successfully implemented. In fact, it is Congress who had brought all the major reforms for which the BJP is trying to take dividends,” said the UPPCC president.