Guwahati, Nov. 1: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today announced a statewide agitation on Thursday to pressurise Dispur to evolve a mechanism and ensure that the farmers of the state got proper prices for their produce.

KMSS publicity secretary Kamal Kumar Medhi in a press statement said farmers in the state were running from pillar to post to get the minimum support price for their produce like jute, green leaf, rice and sugarcane.

He said the situation had forced farmers to spend sleepless nights in frustration.

Medhi said despite such pitiable condition of farmers, the ruling Congress government was not at all bothered to solve the problem. He said the government had become arrogant and resorted to police firing whenever farmers hit the streets to express their grievances in a democratic manner.

Four farmers were killed and 10 injured when security forces opened fire on agitating jute cultivators at Bechimari weekly market along National Highway 52 in Darrang district last month. The protesters became agitated as the traders refused to pay the amount they demanded for their products.

The KMSS will stage demonstrations in every district and subdivisional headquarters from 11am to 2pm on Thursday. Medhi said the November 3 programme would be the first phase of KMSS agitation and it would further intensify if the government did not do anything to enable the farmers to get proper prices for their produce.

The farmers’ body reiterated its demand that the state government should enact a special law so that jute, mustard oil, green leaf and ginger cultivators could sell their products at a price set by it, instead of arbitrary decisions by the traders.

On the other hand, the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has submitted memoranda to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Union minister of commerce Anand Sharma, demanding steps to ensure proper prices for jute, green leaf, rice and sugarcane.

Haidar Hussain Bora, AIUDF publicity secretary, said the party chief and MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal recently submitted the memoranda. He said the Bechimari killing would be remembered as a black chapter in Assam’s history.

“Assam’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture. Despite such a situation, the government is not bothered about the livelihood of farmers. Those days are not far when many farmers would be forced to commit suicide for not getting the right prices for their produce. It is high time the Tarun Gogoi government wakes up to prevent such situations in the future,” Bora said.