AAP delegation meets Gujarat CM, submits 11-point memorandum on farmers’ issues

An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) delegation led by Gujarat State President Isudan Gadhvi met the Chief Minister at Swarnim Sankul in Gandhinagar on Tuesday to submit a memorandum outlining 11 key demands related to farmers’ issues in the state.

The delegation included MLAs Gopal Italia and Chaitar Vasava, State Organisation General Secretary Manoj Sorathiya, National Joint Secretary Raju Solanki, State Youth President Brijraj Solanki, State Vice President Gauri Desai, Central Zone Working President Dr. Javelben Vasara and State Chief Spokesperson Dr. Karan Barot, along with other senior party leaders.

Speaking after the meeting, AAP MLA Gopal Italia said that farmers in Gujarat are facing multiple challenges, prompting the party to organise Kisan Mahapanchayats across North Gujarat, Central Gujarat and Saurashtra.

He said these outreach programmes were aimed at understanding farmers’ concerns at the grassroots level. According to him, farmers shared their grievances with party leaders and submitted forms detailing their issues, which formed the basis of the 11 demands presented to the Chief Minister.

Explaining the demands, Italia said the delegation has sought the immediate abolition of the “price-cutting practice” in all markets, with strict imprisonment for those involved.

Other demands include ensuring that farmers are not forced to transport produce to godowns or factories instead of APMC markets, compensation of ₹50,000 per hectare within one month for farmers, sharecroppers and farm labourers affected by unseasonal rains on the lines of the Punjab government, timely payment of price differences to dairy farmers directly into their bank accounts, and provision of 12 hours of free electricity daily.

The memorandum also calls for withdrawal of police cases filed against farmers during the Haddad incident and the Sabar Dairy agitation, procurement of all crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), timely availability of fertilisers, clearance of pending payments to sugarcane farmers and reopening of closed sugar mills, commencement of cotton procurement by the CCI from October 1 instead of December, and adequate compensation for farmers affected by the installation of high-tension power lines across the state.

Italia further said that farmers across Gujarat are looking for relief amid rising input costs, erratic rainfall, damage caused by wild animals, alleged irregularities in APMC pricing practices, and land acquisition for infrastructure projects without consent.

He said the delegation conveyed these concerns to the Chief Minister and expressed hope that the state government would take prompt decisions on the issues raised.

He added that the demands were aimed at addressing challenges faced by the agricultural sector and safeguarding food security, and said the party would continue to raise farmers’ concerns.