By IANS,
Ahmedabad: The Congress party in Gujarat will launch an eight-day farmers’ rights agitation across the state from June 1, state unit president Arjun Modvadia said here Tuesday.
Charging the Narendra Modi government with serving only the interest of the big corporate houses, Modvadia said the Congress has served a three-month ultimatum to the government to come out with a timetable for providing electricity connection to the farmers, forest land to tribals and 100 sq yard land to the landless rural families.
“If the government fails to come out with a time-bound programme on these issues, we will launch an aggressive agitation,” Modvadia added.
He pointed out that the farmers in Gujarat are the highest taxed in the country.
“In Gujarat value added tax (VAT) is charged on chemical fertilisers, which makes these costlier by Rs.15 per bag,” he said, adding that with 24 percent VAT, diesel is costlier by Rs.2.50 per litre as compared to neighbouring Rajasthan.
He alleged that although the state government has ordered that BT Cotton seed be sold at Rs.830, the price is Rs.1,400 to Rs.1,500 per bag.