The Opposition BJP held a virtual dharna on social media on Tuesday against the Hemant Soren government, criticising it for delaying payment to farmers in lieu of procurement of paddy crops at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has halted the wheels of the economy.

Holding anti-government and pro-farmer placards and banners, party MPs, MLAs and workers flooded social media with their photos and videos denouncing the state government. They also alleged that the coalition government of JMM-Congress-RJD had failed to provide loan waivers to several farmers as promised in the state budget and demanded the timely release of Kharif seeds ahead of the monsoon.

The protest began at 11am and went on for two hours with the party leadership underlying that it was held on social media so as not to violate Covid restrictions in place across the state. Later in the evening, BJP also submitted a memorandum to governor Droupadi Murmu demanding her intervention on pending payments for farmers.

State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash said, “We have been regularly getting reports from different districts where farmers who sold their crops at government procurement centres are awaiting payments since December. With monsoon around the corner, they don’t have money nor resources to take up farming amid the pandemic. But the state government continues to remain insensitive towards their cause.”

Ranchi MLA C P Singh during virtual protest Telegraph Picture

Chatra MP Sunil Singh added that the former BJP state government had rolled out CM Krishi Ashirwad Yojana to provide assured financial assistance of Rs 2,000 to small and marginal farmers at regular quarters. “But soon after coming to power, this government stopped this scheme,” he said, threatening to intensify their stir against the government if the situation did not improve.

Sources in the state food and civil supplies department said that to date over 5 lakh million tonne paddy had been procured from close to 1 lakh farmers and that the process was still on. On pending payments, an official said the delays were due to Covid-19. “During the last couple of months, procurement and payment were slow as many officials and workers on the ground got infected. But things are picking up pace,” he said.

JMM-Congress hit back at the saffron camp for shedding crocodile tears for farmers. It asked BJP MPs and MLAs of the state to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi why the nation's farmers were on the streets protesting against contentious farm laws.

Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey said, “It’s high time, the BJP question PM over farm laws, which has rattled farmers across the country forcing them to launch stir against the union government.”

JMM, which is the lead alliance partner, cited numerous measures undertaken by the Hemant Soren government in the interest of the farmers. “Soon after coming to power, we have begun a loan waiver scheme. Procurement of paddy grains is still on and will continue till June for the first time so that maximum farmers can sell their produce on MSP. This apart, the state agriculture department has also begun distribution of Kharif seeds ahead of the monsoon, which never happened earlier," he said, adding that BJP did not have the moral right to talk about farmers after having implemented anti-farm laws last year amid the pandemic.