Madhya Pradesh’s Leader of Opposition, Umang Singhar, expressed concerns on Monday about farmers in the Nimar region seeking new schemes from the BJP government. Singhar criticized a recent cabinet meeting, stating it seemed more focused on publicity rather than actual farmer welfare. He highlighted the approval of an irrigation project in Varla and Pansemal as an attempt to mask the situation.
Singhar, a Congress leader from the Tribal community in Dhar district, emphasized the need for industries related to major crops like cotton, soybeans, maize, bananas, and papayas in Barwani district. He pointed out that the absence of such industries has adversely affected tribal farmers, especially in the cotton sector. Singhar raised issues with the Cotton Corporation of India’s purchasing practices, noting discrepancies in buying cotton at Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The former Cotton Bowl area, Sendhwa block, has reportedly lost its trade prominence to Maharashtra and Gujarat due to various challenges, including high taxes. Singhar highlighted the increasing labor migration from Barwani and neighboring districts, attributing it to the lack of adequate industrial infrastructure despite the presence of industrial parks and national highway connectivity. He noted the significant outflow of labor to states offering higher wages like Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Singhar drew attention to Barwani district’s ranking in the NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index, where 60,000 children are underweight and a substantial percentage suffer from malnutrition. He expressed disappointment in the Agriculture Cabinet meeting, criticizing it as a mere public relations exercise similar to the Chief Minister’s foreign trips. Singhar urged the Chief Minister to focus on concrete plans for farmer development and income enhancement.
