Farmers to observe bandh in Jodhpur's Osian on Sunday

Farmers in Jodhpur’s Osian subdivision will observe a bandh on Sunday against the discontinuation of power subsidy and to press for their demand of a special package to offset the losses caused by the locust attack.

They are demanding that the relief be transferred to their accounts and the power distribution firm stop vigilance checks, representatives of the Bharatiya Kisan Mahasangh said here.

Farmers will also burn their electricity bills in protest against the government decision besides parking their vehicles on the roadside, they said.

All markets and grain mandis in Osian and Mathania, which is known for its red chilies, will remain shut.

“Three farmers have committed suicide during the coronavirus lockdown in Osian due to loan pressure but the government has not shown any empathy,” alleged former Osian MLA Bhairaram Siyol, who will be spearheading the Sunday protest.

He said farmers have been protesting since long but the government continued to be indifferent to their demands.

District president of the Bharatiya Kisan Mahasangh, Naresh Vyas, said farmers have been demonstrating for the past 17 days at different tehsil headquarters, striving hard to make their voices heard.

“But this was the height of the insensitivity of the state government that despite giving a memorandum to the chief minister, nothing positive came out,” Vyas said.

He said farmers have been left with no other alternative.

The vice-president of the farmers’ body, Ram Narayan Jangu, said over 10,000 farmers will be setting off from their villages on Tuesday towards Jodhpur and hold a protest at the office of the power distribution firm until their demands are met.