Naugachhia: Traffic on National Highway (NH) 31, the country's link with the seven northeastern states, was disrupted for over an hour on Saturday with angry farmers squatting on the road with bananas damaged in the rainstorm on June 19.

Hundreds of banana farmers, mostly from Khairpur and Dholbazza panchayats - at the northeastern corner of Bhagalpur district - demonstrated on the highway under the banner of the Bhagalpur district unit of Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha (ABKM), and raised slogans against Prime Minister and to draw the government's attention.

The blockade near the Naugachia superintendent of police's (SP) official residence from 11.55am to 1.15pm created a chaotic situation on the busy highway. The farmers were demanding adequate compensation along with government intervention in cases of natural calamities and formulation of proper policies to give them the opportunity to enjoy the support price for their products. "We lost everything like thousands of farmers in neighbouring Purnea, as the storm completely damaged our standing banana crop," said Pravin Mandal of Dholbazza panchayat.

ABKM district secretary Bindeshwari Mandal said standing banana crops over more than 400 acres in Bhagalpur were destroyed. "The cost of 1 acre of banana crop is estimated between Rs 90,000 and Rs 1 lakh but as government gives compensation of just Rs 3,000-4,000 per acre," he said, while adding that farmers last got compensation at this rate in 2008-09 which has not yet been revised. "The local block development officer and circle officer do not have any idea of about the rate of government compensation for loss of crops," he claimed.

"Narendra Modi claims that his government would arrange double income for farmers while revising the old rates but there is no advocacy for farmers of this region. Just imagine a farmer who spent Rs 90,000 to Rs 1 lakh per acre of land would get only Rs 3,000-4,000. It's total injustice with them," he said.

Mandal added that the entire Kosi and Ganga diara belt of Bhagalpur-Khagaria is known for record maize production but the farmers do not get support price for their products. "The husk is more costlier than the maize foodgrain here. We demand that the government fixes the support price for maize at Rs 2,400 per quintal," he said.

A street corner meeting was also organised during the highway blockade.