Lakhimpur Kheri (UP): Farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, who are yet to come to terms with the infamous October incident, are considering using the NOTA' option in the upcoming Assembly polls.
They alleged that while the two main political parties in the state the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have cheated them, the other parties are ineffective.
Farmers, that constitute the bulk of the population in Lakhimpur Kheri district located in the Terai belt, said while they have decided not to vote for the BJP owing to the contentious farm laws, they do not wish to support the SP either as the previous Akhilesh Yadav-led government had waived off Rs 2,000 crore interest amount payable by sugarcane mill owners to the cultivators.
Several farmers said they will choose NOTA' (none of the above) on February 23, if necessary, as all parties pay them lip service during elections but do not take any concrete steps to address their grievances.
Jagpal Dhillon, a farmer in Maraucha village located in Palia tehsil here told PTI that all political parties the BJP, SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress give them false assurances and use them as commodities during the elections.
We have no hope from any political party, he said, adding, the BJP will have to bear the brunt of the October 3 Tikoniya incident.
On October 3, eight people, including four farmers, were killed in violence during the farmers' protest at Tikoniya village in Lakhimpur Kheri. Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra is named as the prime accused and is in jail.
Kewal Singh, who along with his two brothers owns 45 acres of land in Palia, says the farmers will not forget how the previous Akhilesh Yadav government waived off the interest amount of Rs 2,000 crore which the sugarcane farmers were entitled to receive from mill owners.
The condition of the farmers turned worse under the BJP regime, which ironically had promised to double our income, he said.
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According to the Cane Control Order 1966, in case of non-payment of the outstanding cane price within 14 days, sugar mill owners will have to pay an interest of 15 per cent to the farmers. However, the SP government waived off this interest amount, which swelled up to about Rs 2,000 crore citing that the industry was going through a lean phase.