MP CM observes fast against Centre's 'apathy' to farmers woes

He also asked Centre to “rationalise” the current crop insurance scheme by making it more practical so that farmers get actual damage caused to their crop.  

Chouhan also criticised Centre for not providing any relief to the loss caused to soybean crops, not purchasing gram crop on minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 3100 per quintal and also not recognising Madhya Pradesh as basmati rice producing region.

Chouhan alleged the Centre was doing so at the behest of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and also because of Pakistan's opposition to the move.

“APEDA has joined hands with Pakistan for doing injustice to the farmers of Madhya Pradesh,” he alleged.  Cabinet Ministers including Kailash Vijaywargiya, Jayant Mallaiya, Uma Shankar Gupta and Babulal Gaur also observed fast.

Meanwhile, the state unit media incharge of BJP, Hitesh Bajpai claimed the shutdown as totally successful and peaceful in the entire state.

Yesterday, state unit BJP chief Narendra Singh Tomar had said, “When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had no time to meet the MP Chief Minister during his last visit to Delhi on the issue of farmers despite the fact that he was present in the national capital, the BJP is left with no option except to resort to protest.”