A day after Congress President Sonia Gandhi had a two-hour interaction with farmers at her residence, the Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress (MMKS), farmers’ wing of the ruling party, on Friday came out with a nine-point charter of demands, including one-time waiver/settlement of all loans taken by farmers.The MMKS also demanded a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement package for farmers whose land had been acquired by the Government or by private parties for SEZs. The rate of interest on farm loans should be reduced to 4 per cent, said the charter that would be submitted to the Congress President, the PM and the Agriculture Minister.The MMKS demanded that the minimum support price of paddy be enhanced to match that of wheat. “There should be insurance of all crops and a village, instead of a block, should be made the unit for measurement of crop damages. There should be medical health insurance for all poor people. Daily wages should be increased in view of high cost of living. There should be a provision for life imprisonment for people selling spurious agriculture inputs, including diesel,” said the charter.
