A delegation of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) met a group of senior state ministers on Wednesday, and pressed for various demands of farmers a day before the budget session of the assembly starts on Thursday.

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Today's meeting comes within ten days of a meeting between BKS representatives and state agriculture minister Dileep Sanghani, during which they had raised important issues related to farmers.

Besides Sanghani, the BKS delegation also met water resources minister Nitin Patel, energy minister Saurabh Patel, and Gujarat State Planning Commission's vice chairman Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, on Wednesday, and made a host of representations to them. Office bearers of BJP's farmer's wing were also present in the meeting.

The BKS, which is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, demanded priority for power connections to farmers in 57 dark zone talukas, and higher subsidy for drip irrigation system in these talukas. BKS also demanded that an action plan be prepared for providing power connections to farmers in other areas on a war footing.

According to sources, the meeting was hastily set up to counter Congress's farmers' rally in Gandhinagar on Thursday. Sources said that majority of the demands made by BKS were accepted in-principle by the government. However, an official announcement cannot be made in this regard as the assembly has already been convened.

The other demands made by BKS include cheaper loans for farm sector, 50% subsidy for solar pumps, increase in compensation for cattle deaths, higher subsidy for net houses/green houses, action plan for protecting standing crops from cattle, and lower VAT rates on farm equipment.

The Sangh also demanded that compensation paid to farmer's family in case of his accidental death be increased from Rs1 lakh.The ministers assured the BKS representatives that the government was committed to farmers' well-being.