Friday, December 10, 2010

Vidarbha farmer suicide: Maharashtra Govt. is misleading house


Vidarbha farmer suicide: Maharashtra Govt. is misleading house

Nagpur – 11th December 2010

Vidarbha Jananaolan Samiti (VJAS ) farmers activist group who are documenting vidarbha farmers suicides have objected the written reply of Rehabilitation Minister Patangrao Kadam that 4,427 debt-ridden farmers in Vidarbha have committed suicide between 2001 and October 31, 2010. Of these, 991 suicides were reported in 2009, in the Assembly on Friday termed it misleading the house and the nation.

“Rehabilitation Minister Patangrao Kadam reply gives totally contradicting figure of their owned official figure provided by National Crime Records Bureau (http://ncrb.nic.in/crimeinindia.htm )and Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swalabhan Mission (vnss-mission.gov.in) as Govt. claimed in 2010 that year 2009 recorded lowest farm suicides number that is 991 then this reflected the true picture that actual farmers suicides figures is much higher than the figure provide by administration to the minister this is unfortunate and another attempt to ignore vidarbha agrarian crisis’ Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jananaolan Samiti (VJAS ) informed in press release today.

Here is official figure of farmers suicides provides by National Crime Records Bureau and Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swalabhan Mission .

Year

As National Crime Records Bureau

As per Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swalabhan Mission and Crime Records data of of six district of west vidarbha

2001

116

59

2002

254

105

2003

328

143

2004

456

441

2005

666

431

2006

1886

1215

2007

1556

1160

2008

1680

1080

2009

1954

991

2010

706

716

Total

8702

6331 (of six district of west vidarbha )

“We want bring the attention Maharashtra Govt. that according recent report of National Crime Records Bureau farmers suicides figure since 1997 will cross 50,000 mark in year and this is very gloomy picture agrarian crisis has already spread all over Maharashtra and we aggressive long term policy can only stop the mass genocide of innocent farmers” Kishor Tiwari added.

Vidarbha agrarian crisis ignored by state

Maharashtra The record excessive and untimely rain till today in all cotton growing area has not only damaged most of Bt.cotton crop but increased the cultivation cost to double but expected yield is likely to reduce to 50% resulting more than Rs.5,000 crore huge financial losses to Maharashtra cotton growers hence vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) ,the main advocacy of west vidarbha cotton growers has urged Maharashtra Govt. to arrange special economic relief to compensate cotton farmers losses, Kishor Tiwari of VJAS informed in press release today.

In a letter to newly elected Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathaviraj Chavan , VJAS has given details of sky rocking cultivation cost which is exposing the truth of the agrarian crisis in the cotton growing area of Maharashtra , here is that table

42 lakhs hectors Bt.Cotton Sky Rocking Cultivating Expenses and huge economic losses

Region

Area

Cost of seed

Fertilizer

pesticide

labor

Crop loan interest

Cultivation cost

Yield

Average income

Accu,alated lossses

For one hector

One hector

5 bags RS.40000/-

20 BAGS Rs.10,000/-

Rs.6,0000/- minimum five spray

Rs.15,000/

Rs.5,000/

Rs.40,000/- per hector

Maximum

7 quintal

Rs.28,000

Rs.12,000/- per hector

vidarbha

24 lacs hector

Rs.960 crore

Rs.2400 crore

Rs1440 crore

Rs.3600 crore

Rs.1200 crore

Rs.9600 crore

168 lac quintal

Rs.6720

Rs.2800 crore

Maharashtra

42 lacs hector

Rs.1680 crore

Rs.4200 crore

Rs.2520 crore

Rs.6300 vrore

Rs.2100 crore

Rs.16800 crore

294 lac quintal

Rs.11760 crore

Rs.5000 crore

Even Maharashtra is set give record production of cotton due heavy increase in cultivation area, the cost of cultivation which has reached to record Rs.40,000/- per hector has completely disturbed economic stability of the reason more it has spread agrarian crisis to other part of Maharashtra from west vidarbha but this serious issue is being ignored by Maharashtra administration hence we have written to chief minister so that the corrective action to bail out more than 5 million farmers can be taken ,VJAS added in press release .

“Though the market prices are above Rs.4000/- per quintal much above the minimum support price of the state, till farmers are loosing Rs.12,000/- per hector thanks to the exploitation of private traders and non-intervention of Maharashtra cotton federation when international prices are above RS.500/- per quintal” Tiwari said.

VJAS has brought another shocking fact before the chief minister that more than 70% finance for cotton crop cultivation is given by private micro finance institutes MFI as against Rs.9600 crore total cost of cultivation ,state owned banks have given only Rs.1460 crore which has been most disturbing facts that is adding fuel in the despair of farmers as MFI style of finance and recoveries are through local self help group(SHG) which are now acting as shelf recovery group(SRG) which needs to be banned immediately to stop innocent victimization debt trapped cotton farmers.

‘The cotton crop failure in Maharashtra is very serious issue but in the recent announcement the on Maharashtra agrarian crisis and Rs.1000 crore bail out package have not covered hence we have approached chief minister who is keen to bring Maharashtra agrarian economy on track and wants to stop on going cotton farmers suicides. VJAS has promised all constructive help to the Maharashtra chief minister if he is really serious to address the mass genocide of farming community as cotton farmers economic crisis is policy driven not the nature driven ’Tiwari assured .

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