SRINAGAR, JULY 04: A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in Srinagar to raise concerns about the exclusion of displaced farmers from key central government schemes.
The delegation included BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Dr. Ashok Koul, BJP General Secretary and MLA Ramgarh Dr. Devinder Kumar Manyal, MLAs Satish Sharma (Billawar) and Surinder Bhagat (Marh), and Advocate Salman, District President of BJP Srinagar.
They submitted a memorandum highlighting the plight of displaced persons from the 1965 and 1971 wars and refugees from West Pakistan, who were settled in border areas like Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Akhnoor. Despite being legal allottees of agricultural land, many of these families have been denied benefits under schemes such as PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, Kisan Credit Card (KCC), and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
Dr. Manyal urged the minister to ensure that these cultivators are officially recognised and brought under the ambit of all central farmer welfare schemes. Ashok Koul and MLA Surinder Bhagat also stressed the need for justice for these long-neglected farmers.