Haridwar: In an interesting turn of events, Umesh Kumar, an independent MLA from Haridwar on Wednesday reached Uttarakhand assembly on tractor that was loaded with sugarcane.
Visuals showed Umesh Kumar attempting to enter the assembly, which had commenced for a three-day session yesterday, with the sugarcane produce.
However, police and security officials allowed the MLA to enter the Assembly only after taking the sugarcane from him.
MLA Kumar said that he brought the rotten sugarcanes to display in the House with the hope that the administration will feel ashamed of the low compensation they are giving to farmers.
"I have brought the rotten crop to show it to the House and the government so that they may feel ashamed of the Rs 1100 per bigha compensation the government is offering to the farmers."
Diesel needed to plough one bigha alone costs around Rs 1100...Today farmers don't have any money to buy even the seeds for planting crops...The government had said that nobody will trouble the farmers for 3 months but bankers have started knocking on the doors of farmers already..." Kumar said.
The MLA said farmers in the State should be exempted from paying electricity bills, they should be provided interest-free loans and compensation given to them should be raised to Rs 11000 per bigha.
Kumar also demanded that the State Minister Satpal Maharaj should tender his resignation. "He (Satpal Maharaj) is a careless minister...it has been 1.5 years since the letter from the Centre regarding the Rs 180 crore plan related to destruction of the embankments in the flood and he has not yet replied to that letter," Kumar said. Heavy rains in Uttarakhand during the last month had triggered landslides and flash floods in several places. —ANI
