Bhopal, Jul 29 (PTI) High drama unfolded in Bhopal on Wednesday as protesting farmers demanding procurement of the moong crop at the MSP broke through multiple police barricades and reached Roshanpura Square, barely a kilometre from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s official residence.
Before reaching Roshanpura, the protesters staged a demonstration outside Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence, even as the Madhya Pradesh government opened talks with representatives of protesters.
Led by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and 18 other farmer organisations, the marchers crossed several layers of barricades on Narmadapuram Road, triggering tense stand-offs with police.
Heavy security was deployed at Roshanpura Square, where the protesters eventually camped while negotiations continued at the state secretariat.
Though there were repeated scuffles between farmers and police and windows of a few buses were damaged, authorities refrained from using force.
The farmers are demanding procurement of the entire summer moong harvest at MSP, scrapping of the e-token system for fertiliser distribution, and timely availability of fertilisers ahead of the next sowing season.
In a bid to defuse the crisis, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a four-member committee to hold talks with farmer representatives.
“The government has always stood with farmers and is ready to consider positive suggestions. At the same time, both sides should ensure that the public doesn’t face inconvenience. We will resolve the issue through talks,” Yadav said.
He expressed hope that the Bharatiya Kisan Sangathan and other organisations would solve the issue through discussions, saying the government’s commitment to public welfare also included farmers’ welfare.
Despite the government’s outreach, some protesters intensified the agitation by staging a semi-nude demonstration on Narmadapuram Road. The protest also drew support from residents, including many members of Generation Z.
Adding a symbolic touch to the agitation, protesters performed a ‘Sadbuddhi Yagya’ and cooked baati-chokha on the roadside.
The stir showed no signs of easing after the first round of talks between State Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana and farmer leaders ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday night.
Farmers remained on the road overnight, causing massive traffic disruptions and forcing police to divert commuters. The protesters, marching towards the chief minister’s residence, were stopped near Veer Savarkar Setu on Tuesday night, while schools in the surrounding areas remained closed on Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Kansana wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking an increase in the procurement limit for summer moong to ensure better returns for farmers.
Responding after protesters gathered outside his residence, Chouhan wrote to the chief minister, saying the Centre had already approved procurement of up to 4,54,580 tons of summer moong for Madhya Pradesh under the Price Support Scheme for the 2025-26 season.
He stated this accounted for 87 per cent of the total 5,23,243 tons approved for procurement across the country under the PM-AASHA scheme, the highest allocation to any state.
This letter is shared by a close aide of Chouhan with the media.
Chouhan also clarified that the Centre does not prescribe procurement targets for states. Under the PM-AASHA guidelines, procurement is permitted up to 25 per cent of estimated production, and any procurement beyond that limit has to be undertaken by the state government, he said.
According to data available with the Centre till July 29, Madhya Pradesh had procured around 60,000 tons of summer moong so far, Chouhan said, urging the state government to expedite procurement in the larger interest of farmers. PTI LAL MAS GK NP NSK
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