“We will eat sookhi roti and namak, but at least we will be home”
Thousands migrant labourers working in Delhi scramble to get home to their villages in Uttar Pradesh after a week-long lockdown was announced in the national capital. Gaon Connection met a few tired, hungry, thirsty and anxious migrant workers as they arrived in busloads at the Kaiserbagh Bus Depot in Lucknow.
Arvind Shukla
Aadhatiyas boycott Day 1 of wheat procurement in Punjab over DBT scheme
This year, the central government decided to pay the MSP to farmers in Punjab directly into their accounts. The state government held rounds of talks with the Centre to retract the decision but to no avail. After the Punjab govt implemented the new scheme, aadhatis have boycotted the procurement as a protest.
Arvind Shukla
Amid fertiliser price hike, this is what IFFCO — India’s largest fertiliser seller — had to say
Hours after the announcement of a sharp rise in fertiliser prices and the resulting criticism, UK Awasthi, the CEO of IFFCO took to Twitter to put out a series of tweets, defending the price hike and its stated effect on the farmers. Read on to know more.
Arvind Shukla
Fields on fire: 1,500 fire incidents a day in Uttar Pradesh; heavy damage to standing wheat crop
In cases of crop fires, the most common reasons include broken power cables, electricity supply wires, tractor sparks, fire from stoves, careless smoking, and fireworks — and these fires cost dearly to the farmers whose livelihoods depend on these crops.
Arvind Shukla
Preyed on by the pandemic
More than 11 million migrant labourers returned to their villages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite several government welfare schemes, even a year later, most continue to suffer the consequences of the lockdown as their livelihoods are derailed and their earnings reduced by half.
Arvind Shukla
Creating a buzz to tackle an elephantine problem
The Khadi and Village Industries Ltd’s RE-HAB project, launched last year in Karnataka, addresses human-elephant conflict through bee-fencing. It is also raising income of the local farmers.
Arvind Shukla
Bank Strike on March 15-16: Banking services to be hit across India as employees protest against privatisation
The nationwide strike announced by bank unions is expected to witness coordinated disruption in banking services till March 17 is. The unions are protesting against the Centre’s drive to privatise government banks. ATMs and digital payment services are likely to be affected as well.
Arvind Shukla
Healthy Returns: Vegetable and fruit cultivation picks up momentum in India
The latest figures from the Union ministry of agriculture predicts an estimated yield of 326.58 million tonnes of vegetables and fruits in 2020-21 cultivated on 27.17 million hectares of land. Government subsidies, better returns and quick yields are encouraging farmers to cultivate fruits and vegetables.
Arvind Shukla
The Trouble with Transparency: Direct MSP payments for wheat into the bank accounts of Punjab farmers; Commission agents on the warpath
Amidst preparations for the annual wheat procurement, Food Corporation of India has confirmed that MSP payments for wheat in Punjab shall be sent directly to the farmers’ accounts by the government. Commission agents cry foul.
Arvind Shukla
Raising Cane: Rising cost of production, unsettled dues and no raise in sugarcane price for three consecutive years worries UP farmers
Sugarcane farmers in Uttar Pradesh cry foul as the price of their produce has not gone up for three consecutive years, and sugar mills are dragging their feet in paying them their dues. Politicians use the issue to trade accusations.