Imphal, June 27 UNA : A rally organized by the peasants under the banner of the Loumi Singmi Apunba Lup (LOUSAL) was blocked by the police at Keishampat Junction after it was kicked off from Keishampat Lairembi Lampak.
\nThe peasants carried out the rally after a sit-in-protest was staged at Keishampat Lairembi Lampak demanding protection of the agricultural land among others.
\nLeaders of the LOUSAL expressed concern over diminishing cultivable land of the state. He said it has been trend in the state to convert cultivation land into brick fields, schools or other business house.
\n\u201cIf the trend continues, there are possibilities that the state will not have any more agricultural land for cultivation in the near future,\u201d they said.
\nSlogans demanding a land policy for agricultural land and introduction of a bill related with a policy to protect agricultural land were displayed at the protest site.
\nEven though the rally carried out after the sit-in-protest was foiled, after a brief negotiation, leaders of LOUSAL were allowed to proceed upto chief minister\u2019s bungalow and submit a memorandum containing their demands.
\nThe rally of the peasants was coincided with discussion for passing the budget allocation of state agriculture department by the house of the Assembly. In the discussion opposition members drew the attention of the house for introduction of an agriculture land policy to safeguard the agricultural land of the state.
\nThey observed that agricultural lands in the state have been fast converting into industrial estate decreasing the area of cultivable land of the state. Opposition leader Dr I Ibohalbi said that most of the agricultural land has been converted for commercial purposes.
\nIf this has not been check timely the area of agricultural land would be decreased remarkably. Another opposition member L Ibomcha moved a policy cut to the discussion for passing of the demand on the ground that the agriculture department alleging that the department has failed to take up farmers oriented policies.
\nThe department was not able to establish soil testing laboratory in all the nine district of the state, asserting the need of such testing centre so that farmers could choose crops suited to their lands.<\/p>\n\n