Wednesday, February 29, 2012

बीटी कॉटनचे परिणाम तपासणार - संसदीय समिती आज विदर्भात-lokmat

बीटी कॉटनचे परिणाम तपासणार - संसदीय समिती आज विदर्भात-lokmat






बीटी कॉटनचे परिणाम तपासणार - संसदीय समिती आज विदर्भात-lokmat
नागपूर। दि. २९ (प्रतिनिधी)
आत्महत्याग्रस्त जिल्ह्यातील शेतकर्‍यांच्या स्थितीची तसेच बीटी कॉटनच्या बियाणांमुळे खरेच शेतकर्‍यांना फायदा झाला का? याची पाहणी करण्यासाठी ज्येष्ठ खासदार वासुदेव आचार्य यांच्या अध्यक्षतेखाली संसदीय समिती उद्या, नागपुरात येत आहे.
देशात जेनेटिकली मॉडीफाईड बियाणांची लागवड मोठय़ा प्रमाणावर होत आहे. याबाबत उलटसुलट चर्चा सुरू आहे. विदर्भातही गेल्या काही वर्षापासून बीटी कॉटनची लागवड सुरू आहे. या वाणाचा खरेच देशातील शेतकर्‍यांना फायदा होत आहे काय? देशात या वाणांची वस्तुस्थिती नेमकी काय आहे? याची पाहणी करण्यासाठी ही समिती येत आहे. बीटी कॉटनच्या लागवडीला सरकारने २00४-0५ मध्ये परवानगी दिली होती. विदर्भासारख्या कोरडवाहू शेतीमध्ये बीटी कॉटनमुळे शेतकर्‍यांचे मोठय़ा प्रमाणावर नुकसान झाले आहे. परंतु काही कंपन्या काही जणांना हाताशी धरून बीटी वाणांमुळे शेतकर्‍यांना बराच फायदा होत असल्याचा दावा करीत आहे. या दाव्यात खरेच तथ्य आहे काय? याची पाहणी करण्याचे काम ही समिती करणार आहे. सध्या ही समिती मध्य प्रदेशच्या दौर्‍यावर आहे. उद्या रात्री नागपुरात येत आहे. शुक्रवारी सकाळी ही समिती यवतमाळ येथे जाणार आहे.
यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यात मोठय़ा प्रमाणावर कापसाची लागवड केली जाते. बीटी कॉटन बियाणांचे उपयोगही या जिल्ह्यात मोठय़ा प्रमाणात होत असल्याने या जिल्ह्याची पाहणी ही समिती करणार आहे. याच जिल्ह्यात आत्महत्या करणार्‍या शेतकर्‍यांची संख्याही अधिक आहे. ही समिती तेथे शेतकर्‍यांशी चर्चा करणार आहे. त्यानंतर अधिकार्‍यांशी चर्चा करतील.
केंद्र सरकार जैवतंत्रज्ञान नियामक प्राधिकरण (बीआरएआय) कायदा करणार आहे. याबाबत शेतकर्‍यांचे मत जाणून घेण्याचा या समितीचा मानस आहे.
विदर्भातील कोरडवाहू शेतकर्‍यांना बीटी बियाणांमुळे जवळपास १0 हजार कोटी रुपयांचे नुकसान सहन करावे लागल्याचा आरोप विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे किशोर तिवारी यांनी केला आहे. केंद्र सरकारच्या या प्रस्तावित कायद्याचा विरोध करावा, असे आवाहन तिवारी यांनी केले आहे. या संसदीय समितीमध्ये विदर्भातील कुणी सदस्य आहे किंवा नाही, याची माहिती नसल्याचे विभागीय कृषी सहसंचालक डॉ. जे.सी. भुतडा यांनी सांगितले. शेतकर्‍यांच्या समस्या जाणून घेतल्यानंतर ही समिती विदर्भातील अधिकार्‍यांशी चर्चा करणार असल्याचे डॉ. भुतडा यांनी सांगितले.
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बीटी बियाण्यांवर तत्काळ बंदी घाला

बीटी बियाण्यांवर तत्काळ बंदी घाला

पांढरकवडा : बीटी बियाण्याच्या पेर्‍यामुळे कृषी क्षेत्रात प्रचंड समस्या निर्माण झाली आहे. शेतकर्‍यांची अडचण लक्षात घेता, केंद्र सरकारने बीटी बियाण्यांवर तत्काळ बंदी घालावी, यासाठी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने दिल्ली गाठली असून सांसदीय समितीसमोर सर्व सत्य ठेवले आहे. सांसदीय समिती २ मार्चला विदर्भाच्या आत्महत्याग्रस्त भागात भेट देऊन विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीच्या दाव्याची सत्यता पडताळून पाहणार आहे. त्यामुळे बीटी बियाणे कंपनीचे पितळ उघडे पडणार असल्याची माहिती विजसने दिली आहे.महाराष्ट्रातील ४0 लाख हेक्टरवरील कोरडवाहू शेतीत शेतकरी बीटी कापसाचे पीक घेत असून मागील ३ वर्षांत या शेतकर्‍यांना कापसाचे उत्पन्न प्रतिहेक्टरी सव्वा क्विंटल रुईचे झाले. प्रत्येक शेतकर्‍याला प्रत्येक क्विंटलमागे कमीतकमी ५ हजार रुपयांचे नुकसान होत असल्याची कबुली प्रथमच शरद पवार यांनी दिली आहे. मात्र बी.टी. कापसाचे पीक घेण्यास महाराष्ट्राचे कोरडवाहू शेतकरीच जबाबदार असल्याची माहिती देऊन त्यांनी केंद्र सरकारकडून या शेतकर्‍यांना वाचविण्यासाठी होणार्‍या मदतीपासून वंचित ठेवण्याचा प्रयत्न केला आहे. महाराष्ट्रात जून २00५ मध्ये बीटी कापसाच्या बियाण्याला कृषिमंत्री शरद पवार यांनी परवानगी दिली. त्यांनी सतत बिटी बियाण्यांचा प्रचार केल्यामुळे २00५ मध्ये ४ लाख हेक्टरमध्ये असलेले बिटी कापसाचे पीक आता ४४ लाख हेक्टरमध्ये झाले आहे.सरकारने कृषी संशोधन परिषदेच्या नागपूर येथील देशी बि.टी. बियाण्यांच्या विक्रीवर बंदीही शरद पवार यांच्यामुळेच लावली आहे. महाराष्ट्रातील ४४ लाख हेक्टर मधील कोरडवाहू शेतकर्‍यांच्या पीक घेण्याच्या पद्धतीवर खापर फोडणे म्हणजे आत्महत्या करीत असलेल्या शेतकर्‍यांच्या जखमेवर मीठ चोळणे होय. शेतकर्‍यांना कंगाल करणार्‍या व आत्महत्येच्या मार्गावर लावणार्‍या बीटी. कापसाचा पेरा सिंचनाची व्यवस्था नसणार्‍या कोरडवाहू क्षेत्रात तत्काळ बंद करावी, अशी मागणी किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली आहे.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

New Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Act is move spread vidarbha farm suicide spiral through out India

New Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Act is move spread vidarbha farm suicide spiral through out India : VJAS urged vidarbha cotton farmers to oppose BRAI on 2nd before Jt. Parliament Committee

Nagpur –

Vidarbha cotton farmers’ suicides after commercial trials of Bt.cotton was given in 2004-2005 and now IT IS official that dry land cotton farmers who opted for Bt, cotton in 40 lakh hectares are likely to lose Rs. 10,000 crores as per initial estimate of crop failure by Maharashtra administration, a farmer advocacy group has alleged.The announcement of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiviraj Chavan that government will announce a bailout package to Maharashtra dry land farmers to the tune of Rs.2000 crore that will cover crop failure of Bt.cotton in 40 lakhs hector in the year 2011-12. This has happened only twice in last five years, the first time in the year 2005-2006 when government compensated farmers to the tune of Rs. 220 crore as it grew Bt cotton in 4 lakh hectares.

“Bt. cotton was first approved for commercial cultivation in nine states by Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) but as Per Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s own admission that average yield of Bt.cotton in dry land areas of Maharashtra is only 125 kg. Now it’s official that dry land cotton farmers who opted Bt.cotton in 40 lakh hectares are likely to lose Rs.10,000 crore as per initial estimate of crop failure reported by Maharashtra administration,” Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, informed in a press release today.

VJAS urged vidarbha cotton farmers to true picture of Bt.cotton failure before joint parliament committee visiting vidarbha on 2nd march, Kishore Tiwari

VJAS has released the extract of submission to parliament committee by expert and activist exposing ill intention of Govt. and MNCs..


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New Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Act is move spread vidarbha farm suicide spiral through out India

The latest addition in the effort of introducing genetically modified food crops in India by the multinational corporations, especially the giant US agribusiness multinational Monsanto, is the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, in short BRAI, which was to be tabled in the latest session of parliament (winter, 2011) by the UPA government. If this bill is passed into law by parliament, then the entire agricultural and food system in India will be affected and there will be far-reaching and dangerous effects on the 1 billion people dependent on that system. This law is not only about a scientific subject or some bureaucratic regulations; the future of agriculture and that of millions of farmers dependent on agriculture is intimately linked to this bill. This bill is also connected to the recent attempts to open the retail sector to foreign direct investment. What the bill is about, and what the real intentions are in trying to pass it into a law, need to be well-understood.

Background history: An attempt to transfer control from GEAC under the Environment and Forests Ministry (MOEF) to the Department of Science and Technology (DST)

The first time talk of passing such an act came up in 2005 when the time came for the renewal of the 2002 contract with Monsanto’s Indian subisidiary Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (MahyCo) for the distribution of genetically modified Bt-cotton seeds. By that time, the negative effects of Bt-Cotton had become evident to many farmers and environmental activists, and many had raised their voices against it. Some effects of the protests were also evident on the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the highest body under the ministry of environment and forests empowered to provide statutory clearances to all research and commercialization of genetically modified organisms (GMO). Even the task force on agri-biotechnology formed in 2004, headed by the well-known agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, expressed their anxiety about the regulatory mechanism of GMOs in India.

In order to stifle these protests, and to keep the door open for introduction of GM crops in the future, a governmental agency which would be immune to such protests from farmers and activists was conceptualized. Following up on that, the UPA government published a draft of a National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Act in 2008. In this draft, it was first proposed that the ultimate authority of approving the introduction of biotechnology and genetically modified crops should be transferred from the GEAC under the Environment and Forests Ministry (MOEF) and vested in a special committee under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The public discussion regarding the bill that ensued was completely one-sided, as it was done by an organization called the Biotechnology Consortium of India, which had been created explicitly for the popularization of biotechnology in India. As a result, the views of different peoples’ organizations, scientists, farmers or consumers were not considered.

Since then, Monsanto has made great progress in the marketing of Bt-Brinjal, which would be their first genetically modified food crop, and the second genetically modified crop, in India. The initial applied research was carried out in the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, with funding from Monsanto/Mahyco. While this was going on, on 8th February 2009, eighteen reputed scientists from all around the world wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh stating reasons why genetically modified crops and food should not be introduced in India. Many agronomists, environmentalists, scientists from various fields, farmer’s bodies and even some state governments also voiced their opposition to the introduction of Bt-brinjal. But even on the face of this opposition, the GEAC approved the commercialization of Bt-Brinjal on 14th October 2009. This approval was based on the report of an expert committee (Expert Committee2- EC2) established by the GEAC.

As soon as the committee was established, it was noticed that of its 16 members, at least five were directly linked to Monsanto or were conducting research based on grants from Monsanto/Mahyco. At that time, many organizations voiced their protests about this composition of the EC-2. But these protests were ignored, and EC-2 recommended the clearance to Bt-brinjal disregarding the absence of clear data about tests done on it and on its potential effect on human and animal health. The storm of protest that rose around the country as a result of this blatant act forced union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh to hold public hearings in eleven cities across the country. Pressured by the opinions expressed in these meetings, and outside, by environmentalists, scientists, farmers and agricultural scientists and a large cross-section of the public, Jairam Ramesh introduced a two-year moratorium on the commercialization of Bt Brinjal.

Soon after that, sections of the central government bureacracy, various chambers of commerce and industry, a section of scientists and the corporate media became vocal against this moratorium. These very same influential groups started to create pressure on the central government to promulgate a law so that the control over commercialization of biotechnology products would be transferred from the MOEF to the DST. The influence of the corporate and technocratic bodies over the DST has always been great and the latter has supported the commercialization of genetically modified food crops from the very beginning. The dream legislation of these corporations is the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Act, which is the new avatar of the original act proposed in 2008 .

Control over Research Infrastructure and the KIA (US-India Knowledge Initiative) Agreement

Just as the greatest support for BRAI comes from corporations and a section technocrats and agricultural scientists, US imperialism also has a direct role in the matter. One of the major goals of US imperialistic interests is to fundamentally change the nature of Indian agriculture, and make it subservient to the interests of multinational corporations, especially US multinational corporations. The inception of this process was on the 18th of July 2005, when Manmohan Singh and the then US president George Bush signed the “US-India Knowledge Initiative on Agricultural Education, Teaching, Research, Services and Commercial linkages” or the KIA agreement. As a result of this treaty, the control of the US based multi-nationals was consolidated on all areas of agriculture in India, from agricultural research to the marketing and retail sale of agricultural products. As a part of this treaty, a board was established whose main objective was to implement the different aims of the agreement, and thereby usher in the “second green revolution”.

The greatest emphasis in KIA was laid upon the massive application of biotechnology in Indian agriculture. Of the amount of money spent by the Indian government for implementing this treaty till now, around 70% has been spent for the expansion of biotechnology. And it is not at all surprising that this board consists of members from giant US based multi-nationals like Monsanto, Archers Daniels Midlands, and Walmart, besides containing bureaucrats and technocrats from both countries’ governments. Needless to mention, these multi-nationals hold a near monopoly over the GM seeds and agricultural produce business in the world.

Under the KIA, one of the approaches that these multi-nationals would be taking to establish their hold over Indian agriculture is to take control of the huge agricultural research system in India and use it for research and commercialization of biotechnology products. Their main target is the huge research infrastructure of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) consisting of 59 institutes, 17 national labs and 78 research projects spread all over the country. Besides this, there are also grants for several hundred research projects in the 50 agricultural universities across India. In all, a huge infrastructure to be potentially used for agri-biotechnology.

The KIA effectively ensures the control of the US based multi-nationals over this infrastructure. But even then, the issue of government regulations on the commercialization and marketing of GM-crops remained. And because of this, in order to fully implement the Indo-US agricultural knowledge treaty, it became necessary to establish the BRAI, which will make the commercialization process of GM crops simple and amenable to the interests of multinational corporations. It is worth noting that at the time when the new BRAI draft act was published in 2009, unknown to the Parliament, an US-India memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) related to “cooperation in agriculture and food security” was signed during the visit of the US foreign secretary Hillary Clinton to India. The objective of the MOU was to increase US investment in the Indian food and agriculture sector. Under the guise of “cooperation in agriculture”, this MOU opened the door for privatization of the agricultural research system and flooding the Indian food market with GM food crops under “food security”.

It should be noted that during this same time the US government has pressurized multiple African countries suffering from famine such as Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe to accept GM food crops as food aid, which many of these countries rejected. It is easily understandable that the passing of the BRAI bill is intimately linked with the interests of US imperialism in India and with the interests of the multinational corporations, whose interests are served by US imperialism.

Why the BRAI Act should be opposed

Now the question is: what is the there in this proposed act that will have such an impact in the field of Indian food and agriculture?

From diverse GEAC to three-membered BRAI

In simple terms, the law will result in the creation of a committee which will have the sole control over the research, production and application of biotechnology products and genetically modified organisms in India. The power that was till now in the hands of the MOEF will now go into the hands of this committee. The committee will have three members, of whom one will be the chairperson and the other two members. All three members would be biologists with experience in working in high positions in some government scientific institution in India. These people would be selected by a nomination committee appointed by the central government, whose members would include the secretaries of different ministries, and two biotechnologists.

In other words the control that GEAC had over biotechnology related research and product development would be handed over to this three-membered committee whose members would all be either scientists or technocrats having connections with government scientific organizations. The GEAC is a diverse body having representatives from scientists, agronomists, environmentalists, physicians, and representatives of different ministries as well as from civil society, whereas this proposed body will be a completely technocratic. As a result, the whole process of decision making in the very critical field of biotechnology with immense impact over agriculture and the lives of our farmers will become highly undemocratic and bureacratic. The scope to express different opinions on this matter on socioeconomic or ethical grounds will get severely curtailed.

Relegating GEAC decision makers to advisory roles

Actually the government is trying to create a system that will prevent the repetition of what happened regarding Bt-brinjal and resulted in the moratorium on its commercialization. To aid the three-membered BRAI, an inter-ministerial advisory committee would be constituted under this act, whose task would be to coordinate the functions of different ministries connected with biotechnology. This means the representatives of the seven ministries who were in the GEAC, and who were participants in the decision making process, will now be relegated to advisory roles, with no involvement in actual decision making. Apart from this, a biotechnology advisory board would be created, whose task would be to provide advice on various innovations of modern biotechnology and their potential applications in the Indian context. Out of the 12 members of this advisory board, four may be from the private sector. They would be plant, animal, environmental or industrial, and medical scientists. This indicates that the path towards private sector intervention in the BRAI is being facilitated.

It is also noteworthy that if BRAI is implemented, then the state governments will have no role in authorizing the commercialization of biotechnology products although under the current law this power lies with the state governments. The role of the state governments would be restricted to State Biotechnology Regulatory Advisory Committees, and this body will have no power to change the BRAI’s decision regarding open field trials or final clearance of GM crops. This means that although agriculture is a subject in the concurrent list (dual responsibility of the central and state governments), the decision making power regarding the application of biotechnology to agriculture would be completely centralized.

Regulation and risk-assessment: Not by interest-free bodies

What would be the process of approving a new GM crop through BRAI? BRAI would have three regulatory divisions; one for biotechnology application in the field of agriculture; another one for health and medical sector and the third for industry and the environment. Each division would be under the control of a chief regulatory officer, who would also be a scientist. Any application on for clearance in any of these three fields would be accepted by these departments. Such applications would be sent by the relevant department to a Risk Assessment Unit, whose task would be to “scientifically” assess the risk associated with the research, import, production or usage of any GMO. If, at an advanced stage of reserach, an application comes for the production or commercialization of any GM crop, then the risk assessment unit will send it to a product ruling committee, which would give their advice on the commercial production or application of the GMO.

Here it should be understood that the long-standing demand from the scientific community and environmentalists for the establishment of an independent entity, which will independently conduct research on a GMO proposed for commercialization and give its opinion on its potential risks and benefits, is not being respected. Instead, the risk assessment unit or the product ruling committee will take decisions based on data supplied by the same companies which have made the request for the approval. In both the cases of Bt-cotton and Bt-brinjal it has been noted that the corporations do not conduct adequate tests, or the veracity of the data supplied by them cannot be establsihed, and the GEAC gave its approval even when adequate information about the safety of the products was not available.

One can imagine that under BRAI, the situation will become a lot worse, as the main decision making power would lie only with the three member committee. And where earlier decisions were made under the auspices of the MOEF, now it would go under the control of the DST, which has always played a major role in the introduction and expansion of GM crops in India. As both the introduction and regulation of GM crops would go under the same ministry, whatever little neutrality was there in the approval process previously would now be absent.

BRAI: Authority to curtail public debate

After the protests surrounding BT-brinjal, the government has most probably realized that introduction of GM crops in India will not be easy. Therefore provisions have been included in the new bill so that any opposition to such moves can be stifled. Even getting information about this issue has been made very difficult. In section 27 (1) of the draft legislation, it has been stated that if anyone requests “commercial” facts about biotechnology-related products under the RTI Act, the BRAI will have the power to reject such an application. Now, it has not been clarified what would be considered as “commercial” information. For example, someone asking for information about the yield of a GM crop under development could be considered “commercial”, and could be refused. This would potentially close the door for ordinary citizens to get information about the yields, benefits or ill-effects of an experimental GM crop. Moreover, under sub-clause 2 of the same section, the decision making power about whether to give information on this issue, would be transferred from the Central Information Commission or the Delhi high court to the BRAI, the same authority which holds the power to give approval. This would permanently close the doors on any informed debate or discussion on the approval of GM crops in India.

BRAI: Authority to criminalize protests on GM crops

Perhaps the most naked attempt to stifle protests against the introduction of GM crops in India can be seen in Section 63 of this act. This clause states that if anyone tries to “misinform” the public about genetically modified organisms or products without “scientific evidence”, then he/she is liable to be sentenced to prison for a minimum period of six months or pay a fine of upto Rs 200,000. It has not been clarified what constitutes “scientific evidence”, or what is meant by “misinform”. Which means that if a farmer understands some ill effects of any GM crop from her own experience, and tries to inform her fellow-farmers about it, she is liable to be imprisoned or fined for spreading “misinformation” without “scientific evidence”. Getting scientific evidence about GM crops is difficult and prohibitively expensive, involving advanced scientific techniques such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which is completely out of reach of the common farmer. Constitutional experts from many countries have expressed their amazement, and disquiet, that such a clause can be part of legislation in a democratic country. The reality is that the government is ready to promulgate such draconian laws today to open the floodgates of neo-liberal looting of agriculture in India.

Other provisions

There are other provisions in the proposed legislation which are cause for concern. For example, there is provision for establishing a tribunal to try cases related to biotechnology. This means that any legal case pertaining to biotechnology will not be under the purview of the judiciary of the land, instead it will come under the purview of this specially constituted tribunal which is unlikely to dispense these cases with fairness. On the other hand, the law does not lay down any norms for the proper labeling of GM crops or food products derived from them. This regulation is essential because there is no other way to distinguish between GM and unmodified food crops. This regulation is strictly followed in all European countries, and if such a regulation is not followed in India all exports of food products, vegetables, flowers etc. to the European Union from India will be stopped. Similarly, there is no provision in the proposed legislation to cancel the approval for a GM crop or to compensate farmers if they face financial losses due to growing GM crops. There is no mention of any compensation also if any natural plant variety is contaminated with GM plants, as has been found often in countries with extensive GM agriculture. These clearly indicate that the government is leaving the farmers helpless in the hands of the agribusiness corporations so that these companies can go on a profiteering spree and the farmers have no way to escape from their clutches.

The Underlying Roadmap: The Second Green Revolution

The union cabinet gave their go ahead to the bill in August 2010, but it has not been tabled in Parliament yet because of disruptions in parliamentary functions during the last few sessions. It was not tabled in the just concluded session too because of the furore on the FDI in retail decision and the Lokpal bill. It is now scheduled to be tabled in the next session of Parliament. The debates on the success or failure of GM crops or biotechnology are going to continue but by trying to pass this legislation the government is trying to send the message that no hindrance would be brooked in India on the path of widespread introduction of GM crops in India by the multinational corporations.

What is acting behind this is the enormous plan to fundamentally change the agricultural system in India, which is being called as the “second green revolution”. This is envisaged to corporatize India agriculture and bring in large scale, biotechnology-driven agriculture under corporate control. The experience from various countries is that biotechnology-driven agriculture is so capital intensive that small farmers are not able to sustain it, and are driven off from their lands and livelihoods. The same is going to happen in our country and will free these lands for large scale corporate agriculture. And the government is aiming to give this system a permanent basis by bringing in legislation which will facilitate this process. The recent attempt to open up the retail sector to foreign direct investment is also closely tied to this process, as large multinational retail corporations will either tie up with agribusiness corporations, or go into agribusiness themselves as has been the case, to flood the market with GM foods. This has been succinctly described in the US-India agricultural knowledge initiative as the “lab bench to store shelf” model, where the entire gamut of Indian agriculture, from research to retail will be under the control of globalized capital.

Unquote

Vidarbha visit of parliament committee will expose toll claims of Monsantro and will see that Govt. drop BRAI bill in order to stop farmers on going genocide due wrong policies of state to protect handful MNCs in the name boi-technology and so called genetic revolution ,Tiwari added

Monday, February 27, 2012

सांसदीय समिती २ मार्चला पांढरकवड्यात-लोकशाही वार्ता

सांसदीय समिती २ मार्चला पांढरकवड्यात-लोकशाही वार्ता
नागपुर /२६फेब्रुवारी
भारताचे पंतप्रधान डॉ. मनमोहनसिंग यांनी ५ हजार कोटींचे पॅकेज दिल्यानंतर व सरकारने २00८ मध्ये ७१ हजार कोटींची कर्जमाफी केल्यानंतरही गेल्या ३ वर्षांत विदर्भातील शेतकर्‍यांच्या आत्महत्या प्रचंड प्रमाणात वाढल्या आहेत. सांसदीय समितीने शेतकर्‍यांच्या आत्महत्यांसाठी जगात प्रसिद्ध असलेल्या यवतमाळ जिलतील पांढरकवडा येथे भेट देऊन शेतकरी व शेतकरी विधवांशी सरळ संवाद करावा, यासाठी दि. २ मार्च रोजी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे आयोजन करण्यात आले आहे.
येत्या २ मार्चला ही सांसदीय समिती विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने निवडलेल्या भांबराजा व मारेगाव सोनबर्डी या गावात सरळ संवाद साधणार असून विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी या वासुदेव आचार्य यांच्यासह २५ लोकसभा सदस्य व १0 राज्यसभा सदस्यांना मागील दशकामध्ये विदर्भाच्या शेतीच्या प्रश्नावर निर्माण झालेल्या पीक, पत आणि भाव या संबंधीच्या मुलभूत प्रश्नांची माहिती देण्यासाठी २८ फेब्रुवारीला दिल्ली येथे विस्तृत असे निवेदन देणार आहेत. त्यावरून सांसदीय समितीमधील सर्व खासदार सत्य परिस्थिती जाणण्यासाठी सरळ शेतकर्‍यांशी संवाद साधणार आहे.
विदर्भाच्या कृषी समस्या व शेतकर्‍यांच्या आत्महत्या यावर भारताच्या सर्वोच्चा कायदा करणार्‍या संसदेमार्फतच धोरणात्मक बदल होण्याची आशा निर्माण झाली असून शेतकर्‍यांनी आपल्या शेतीसंबंधी अडचणी ग्रामीण भागातील बेरोजगारी, पाणी, अतिशय खराब झालेले आरोग्य व शिक्षण व्यवस्था व या समस्यांमुळे निर्माण झालेले नैराश्य यासंबंधी सत्य परिस्थिती सांसदीय समिती समोर ठेवावी, अशी विनंती विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली आहे.
पश्‍चिम विदर्भातील कापूस उत्पादक शेतकर्‍यांचे कृषी संकट सुरू झाल्यापासून आत्महत्याग्रस्त ६ जिलत ८ हजारांवर शेतकर्‍यांच्या आत्महत्या झाल्या असून सरकारी आकडेवारीनुसार एकट्या यवतमाळ जिलत हा आकडा २३३२ असून यापैकी जेमतेम २0 टक्के शेतकर्‍यांच्या कुटुंबांना सरकारने मदतीसाठी पात्र ठरविले आहे. ६ हजारांवर शेतकरी विधवा व त्यांचे कुटुंब उपासमारीला तोंड देत असून या भीषण समस्येवर भारताच्या संसदेमध्ये तत्काळ तोडगा काढावा, यासाठी या सर्व खासदारांनी मारेगाव सोनबर्डी येथे शेतकरी विधवांच्या प्रश्नावर त्यांच्याशी सरळ चर्चा करण्याचे ठरविले आहे. या भागातील शंभरावर शेतकरी विधवा अर्पणा मालीकर, रेखा गुरनुले, चंद्रकला मेर्शाम यांच्या नेतृत्वात भेटणार असल्याची माहिती विदर्भ शेतकरी विधवा संघटनेच्या नेत्या बेबीताई बैस यांनी दिली.
कापसाच्या शेतीमुळे जमिनीची पोत घसरत असून रासायनिक शेतीमुळे आरोग्याच्याही प्रचंड समस्या निर्माण झाल्या आहेत. शेतीवर लागणारा खर्च प्रत्येकवर्षी दुप्पटीने वाढत असून कापसाच्या पिकाला फारच कमी भाव मिळत असल्यामुळे मागील ३ वर्षात शेतकरी प्रचंड आर्थिक अडचणीत आले आहे.
सर्व शेतकर्‍यांसाठी बँकांची दारे बंद झाली असून आता बाजारातून कर्ज काढुन प्रचंड खर्चाची व प्रचंड पाण्याची आवश्यकता असणारी कापसाची शेती करून शेतकर्‍यांनी अनेक माती, पाणी व आरोग्याच्या मुलभूत मात्र अतिशय गंभीर समस्यांना तोंड देण्यास सुरुवात केली आहे. या जीव घेणार्‍या जैविक बियाण्यांच्या रासायनिक शेतीला सरकारने बंदी घालावी व नैसर्गिक शेतीला शक्ती करावी, या मागणीसाठी मारेगाव सोनबर्डी येथील सर्व शेतकरी सांसदीय समितीसमोर आग्रह धरतील, अशी माहिती शेतकरी नेते प्रेम चव्हाण यांनी दिला.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Now, parliamentary panel to study suicide crisis-TIMES OF INDIA

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NAGPUR: A parliamentary standing committee will visit the farm suicide capital of Yavatmal on March 2. The 37-member committee, headed by Basudeo Acharya of CPM, will go to Pandharkawda and visit couple of villages to find out why farmers suicides continue unabated despite a plethora of measures taken by the government, providing relief to cotton growers of drylands of Vidarbha.

This is the first time that such a large team of parliamentary committee will be visiting the region. The visit comes in the wake of reports that the actual number of farmers committing suicides and found eligible for compensation by the government has actually tripled last year. There are also reports that the government may consider yet another relief package for dry-land farmers whose economic plight has worsened in the last six years and the cases of loan defaults have recorded an alarming rise in the region. Another round of loan waiver can only make them eligible for fresh bank credits in the next kharif season.

Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, which is spearheading the cotton growers' cause for over a decade, will be meeting the standing committee members during the visit to Pandharkawda. The panel members will be taken to nearby villages of Bhamraja and Maregon to study the ground realities. "Several such studies have been undertaken in the past. We only hope that the fresh attempt of the government will succeed in identifying the problem and ways to address it,' said Kishore Tiwari, VJAS president, on Saturday. He lamented that recommendation of high-profile reports of M S Swaminathan who headed the National Agricultre Commission and Prof Narendra Jadhav were never implemented.

"In 2006, the CM-PM package of Rs 5000 crore was followed by a massive loan waiver in 2008. As part of Rs 70,000 crore covering several states, Vidarbha region got a share of Rs 6000 crore. In 2009, the state government extended the loan waiver facility. Planning commissionexperts also visited the region and gave their report. In effect, a dozen such committees may have studied the farm crisis in Vidarbha. But a lasting solution to make agriculture sustainable has evaded the authorities till date," said Tiwari. There are fresh worries that cotton farmers have fallen prey to monopolistic designs of multinational seed companies producing genetically modified seeds.

2 more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha. Parliamentary panel to visit on March 2=Hindustan Times

2 more farmers commit suicide in Vidarbha. Parliamentary panel to visit on March 2=Hindustan Times

iconimg Saturday, February 25, 2012
Pradip Kumar Maitra, Hindustan Times
Nagpur, February 25, 2012
Farmers in the killing fields of Vidarbha will have a new ray of hope on March 2 when a parliamentary committee, headed by veteran CPM leader Vasudev Acharya, visits the region to study the agrarian crisis and the impact of relief packages. The 31-member panel, during their two-day visit to Yavatmal, Wardha and Nagpur, will speak to the farmers, district implementation officers and the representatives of different farmers’ organizations. The committee will also hold public hearings in these places.

The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had announced a special bailout package of Rs 3750-crore for the crisis-ridden farmers of Vidarbha while the state pumped over Rs 5,000-crore for the distressed farmers time to time. However, these packages failed to stem the farmers’ suicide so far.

According to the reports reaching here on Saturday, two more farmers have ended their lives because in the last 24 hours in the region. They have been identified as Pandurang Meshram (64) of Karanwadi in Yavatmal district and Jemlal Dila (50), a farmer from Shirpur-Bandh in Gondia district. Meshram hanged himself while Jemlal committed suicide by swallowing pesticide.

“Crippled with debts, both of these marginal farmers could not repay the crop loans this season due to crop failure and were scared that they would not get fresh loans in the ensuing kharif season. This frustration led them to take the extreme step,” claimed Kishore Tiwari, president of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, a farm pressure group which has been documenting farmers’ suicides since 2001.

With the deaths of these farmers the toll has risen to 13 this month while the figure was 37 last month. As many as 918 farmers from Vidarbha region ended their lives because of agrarian crisis in 2011, Tiwari pointed out. With an alarming rise in the farmers’ suicide in the region, Tiwari demanded immediate intervention of the PMO in this regard.
According to Tiwari, in Yavatmal 35 farmers’ suicides in 2010 were approved for government compensation and this figure has touched 76 in 2011. As many as 2332 farmers committed suicides in Yavatmal district alone since 2000 and of them only 714 were found eligible for compensation.

The figures are really very alarming and the prime minister should provide a long-term solution to the crisis, said Tiwari.

Despite special packages and loan waiver, nothing has changed on the ground and dry-land farmers have very little hope to get remunerative price and make agricultural activity sustainable, he further said.

Friday, February 24, 2012

VJAS moved PM on official reports of Farmers’ Suicide Tripled in 2011

VJAS moved PM on official reports of Farmers’ Suicide Tripled in 2011

VJAS moved PM on official reports of Farmers’ Suicide Tripled in 2011

NAGPUR: Feb 25, 2012,


Govt. administration figures of farmers suicides in vidarbha agrarian crisis hit cotton belt of western districts first for year 2011 has been shocked the local media and civil society when national daily reported that figures compiled by government at Yavatmal district, the epicenter of agrarian crisis, with very different rocking figures completely contracting earlier reports of Govt. of India and Mahrashtra Govt in 2011, have been committed due to agrarian crisis tripled as compared to the last year In Yavatmal district as against in 2010 administration confirmed 35 farmers suicides due to agrarian crisis eligible for government compensation whereas in 2011, as against 76 have been declared as agrarian crisis hit farmers suicides which is all most three times than earlier which reflects seriousness of the vidarbha crisis after post packages years and prime minister’s visit to vidarbha in July 2006 ,hence Vidarbha Janadolan Samiti (VJAS) activist group working farmers rights in region since 1997 and demanding the complete rehabilitation of farm widows and kids of farmers families who committed suicides,written a letter requesting Indian prime minister DR.Manmohan singh to provide long term solution to the crisis and integrated solution to vidarbha agrarian crisis ,Kishor Tiwari convener of VJAS informed in press release today.

“In fact around 550 cotton farmers committed suicides(2010-309 and 2011-240) in Yavatmal district but triple jump in 2011’s figure official farmers suicides due to agrarian crisis is due to the government relaxing the criterion for declaring a suicide as that due to farm crisis making to somewhat sensitive as per landholding norms as now any members of farming family who is involved in cultivation as considered as farmer but other stringent norms of giving relief aid to farm widows reflects very gloomy picture as in west vidarbha due to the government relaxing the criterion for declaring a suicide as that due to farm crisis since 2000 where as , 2,332 farmers have committed suicide in Yavatmal. Out of which 714 have been declared to be due to farm crisis this is very ridiculous all cases of farmers’ suicides should be given relief aid ” Kishore Tiwari Urged PMO to review all cases in light with changed norms.

‘The official figure of official farm suicides 309 suicides in 2010 andin 2011, as against 240 suicides by farmers is just gives trend when all the six farm suicide-hit districts Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, and Washim apart from Yavatmal.are considered for prime minister relief package and Indian Govt. claims to spent more than Rs.5,000 crore apart from Rs.70,000 crore national loan waiver which has given additional Rs.8000 crore to the package in 2006 and 2008 but there is no change in agrarian economy and rate of farm suicides in the region that has exposed total failure of Indian Govt. to solve agrarian crisis in dry land region of maharashtra hence we are demanding fresh review of issue so that innocent farmers on going genocide can be stopped.” Tiwari added.

‘We are asking PMO to provide sustainable solution to agrarian policies in order to restore vidarbha agrarian economy which isneeded complete focus on the dry land farmers who are subjected to the high risk rain sensitive cash crop like cotton and sugarcane which has ruined economic system of region creating lot of social engineering issues which are adding fuel to already hostile environment of west vidarbha completely dominated by acute distress, despair and gloom hence the urgent request to PMO” VJAS urged.

VJAS moved PM on official reports of Farmers’ Suicide Tripled in 2011

VJAS moved PM on official reports of Farmers’ Suicide Tripled in 2011

VJAS moved PM on official reports of Farmers’ Suicide Tripled in 2011

NAGPUR: Feb 25, 2012,


Govt. administration figures of farmers suicides in vidarbha agrarian crisis hit cotton belt of western districts first for year 2011 has been shocked the local media and civil society when national daily reported that figures compiled by government at Yavatmal district, the epicenter of agrarian crisis, with very different rocking figures completely contracting earlier reports of Govt. of India and Mahrashtra Govt in 2011, have been committed due to agrarian crisis tripled as compared to the last year In Yavatmal district as against in 2010 administration confirmed 35 farmers suicides due to agrarian crisis eligible for government compensation whereas in 2011, as against 76 have been declared as agrarian crisis hit farmers suicides which is all most three times than earlier which reflects seriousness of the vidarbha crisis after post packages years and prime minister’s visit to vidarbha in July 2006 ,hence Vidarbha Janadolan Samiti (VJAS) activist group working farmers rights in region since 1997 and demanding the complete rehabilitation of farm widows and kids of farmers families who committed suicides,written a letter requesting Indian prime minister DR.Manmohan singh to provide long term solution to the crisis and integrated solution to vidarbha agrarian crisis ,Kishor Tiwari convener of VJAS informed in press release today.

“In fact around 550 cotton farmers committed suicides(2010-309 and 2011-240) in Yavatmal district but triple jump in 2011’s figure official farmers suicides due to agrarian crisis is due to the government relaxing the criterion for declaring a suicide as that due to farm crisis making to somewhat sensitive as per landholding norms as now any members of farming family who is involved in cultivation as considered as farmer but other stringent norms of giving relief aid to farm widows reflects very gloomy picture as in west vidarbha due to the government relaxing the criterion for declaring a suicide as that due to farm crisis since 2000 where as , 2,332 farmers have committed suicide in Yavatmal. Out of which 714 have been declared to be due to farm crisis this is very ridiculous all cases of farmers’ suicides should be given relief aid ” Kishore Tiwari Urged PMO to review all cases in light with changed norms.

‘The official figure of official farm suicides 309 suicides in 2010 andin 2011, as against 240 suicides by farmers is just gives trend when all the six farm suicide-hit districts Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Wardha, and Washim apart from Yavatmal.are considered for prime minister relief package and Indian Govt. claims to spent more than Rs.5,000 crore apart from Rs.70,000 crore national loan waiver which has given additional Rs.8000 crore to the package in 2006 and 2008 but there is no change in agrarian economy and rate of farm suicides in the region that has exposed total failure of Indian Govt. to solve agrarian crisis in dry land region of maharashtra hence we are demanding fresh review of issue so that innocent farmers on going genocide can be stopped.” Tiwari added.

‘We are asking PMO to provide sustainable solution to agrarian policies in order to restore vidarbha agrarian economy which isneeded complete focus on the dry land farmers who are subjected to the high risk rain sensitive cash crop like cotton and sugarcane which has ruined economic system of region creating lot of social engineering issues which are adding fuel to already hostile environment of west vidarbha completely dominated by acute distress, despair and gloom hence the urgent request to PMO” VJAS urged.

Friday, February 10, 2012

रसायनांच्या अतिवापराने हजारो हेक्टर जमीन शेतीसाठी अयोग्य- लोकमत




रसायनांच्या अतिवापराने हजारो हेक्टर जमीन शेतीसाठी अयोग्य- लोकमत


यवतमाळ। दि. १0 (प्रतिनिधी)

http://onlinenews1.lokmat.com/php/detailednews.php?id=NagpurEdition-2-8-10-02-2012-c57f5&ndate=2012-02-11&editionname=nagpur
सरकारच्या कृषी संशोधन संस्थेच्या शेतीची जमीन व शेतीयोग्य जमिनीचे वापर व नियोजन करण्यासाठी राष्ट्रीय स्तरावर नागपूर येथील नॅशनल ब्युरो ऑफ स्वाईल सर्वे अँन्ड लॅंड युज प्लॅनिंग ही संस्था आहे. या संस्थेने शेतीच्या जमिनीची पोत, होणारे पीक व मागील दशकात झालेला र्‍हास यांचे संपूर्ण सर्वेक्षण केले. रासायनिक शेती, कीटकनाशकांचा सर्रास वापर, जमिनीखालचे विषारी पाण्याचा शेतीसाठी वापर व शेतकर्‍यांनी चुकीची केलेली शेती यामुळे संपूर्ण देशातील ३२ कोटी हेक्टर शेती अंतर्गत असलेल्या जामिनीपैकी ४0 टक्के म्हणजे १२ कोटी हेक्टर जमीन पीक घेण्यास अयोग्य झाली असल्याचा अहवाल दिला आहे.
जमिनीची पोत सपाट्याने खालावत असून यामुळे भारतातील कृषी संकट उभे राहिल्याचा दावा कृषी मंत्रालयाच्या या सर्वेमध्ये समोर येत आहे. विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने जमिनीचा होत असलेला र्‍हास, चुकीच्या शेतीमुळे उत्पादनातील घट, अति रासायनिक खत व कीटकनाशकाच्या वापरामुळे संपूर्ण पर्यावरणाला निर्माण झालेल्या धोक्याविषयी सरकारने श्‍वेत पत्रिका काढावी, अशी मागणी केली आहे. त्यासंबंधी समितीने थेट पंतप्रधानांना पत्र पाठविले आहे.
७0 च्या दशकात देशाने हरितक्रांतीच्या नावावर रासायनिक शेती सुरू केली. अन्नाच्या बाबतीत स्वयंम निर्भर झाल्याचे घोषित केले. मात्र हरितक्रांतीने आणलेल्या रासायनिक शेतीने जमिनीची पोत जबरीने खराब होत असल्याच्या तक्रारी येऊ लागल्या. सुरुवातीला रासायनिक खताचा वापर फारच कमी होता. मात्र पुढे रासायनिक खताशिवाय शेती करणे कठीण झाले.
कृषी विभाग व कृषी विद्यापीठाने अति रासायनिक खते वापरायचे व अति पावसाचे पीक शेतकर्‍यांना देण्यास भाग पाडल्यामुळे जमिनीची पोत प्रचंड प्रमाणात घसरली असल्याचा दाव कृषी मंत्रालयाच्या शोध संस्थेने केला आहे. १२ कोटी हेक्टर जमिनीचा र्‍हास होण्यास शेतकरीच जबाबदार असल्याचा ठपका ठेवण्यात आला. ही बाब दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण असल्याचे किशोर तिवारी यांनी पत्रकात म्हटले आहे.
नॅशनल ब्युरो ऑफ स्वॉईल सर्वे अँन्ड लॅंड युज प्लॅनिंग यांनी पहिले जमिनीचे सर्वेक्षण वर्धा जिल्ह्यात २00७ व २00८ मध्ये केले होते. त्यावेळी त्यांनी जमिनीची पोत गेल्यामुळे १ लाख हेक्टरमध्ये शेतकर्‍यांनी शेती करणे सोडले आहे व ही जमीन आता कोणतेही पीक घेण्यास अयोग्य आहे, असा धक्कादायक अहवाल दिला होता. कृषी मंत्रालयाने या अहवालाची गंभीर दखल घेत देशाच्या ३२ कोटी हेक्टर जमिनीचे सर्वेक्षण केले. मातीचे नमुने घेऊन झालेल्या नुकसानीचा अंदाज घेतला. सध्या सुरू असलेली रासायनिक शेती व त्यावर आलेले जैविक बियाणे असेच वापरात येत गेले तर येत्या भविष्यात शेतीची जमीन कोणतेही पीक घेण्यास अयोग्य होणार, अशी भीती व्यक्त करण्यात आली आहे. यावर उपाय म्हणून रासायनिक शेती, किटकनाशकाचा सर्रास वापर, जमिनीची जात असलेली पोत वाचविण्यासाठी परंपरागत शेणाची शेती करण्यासाठी शेतकर्‍यांना सरकारने आर्थिक अनुदान द्यावे, अशी मागणी किशोर तिवारी यांनी पंतप्रधानाकडे निवेदनाद्वारे केली आहे.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

VJAS demands White Paper on Govt. Official Survey 120 Million Hectare degrading land due to Faulty Agri. practices affecting Agri. Growth.

VJAS demands White Paper on Govt. Official Survey 120 Million Hectare degrading land due to Faulty Agri. practices affecting Agri. Growth.

NAGPUR Dated- Feb 9, 2012

Govt. of India's main research institutes that's Indian council of agriculture research (ICAR) premier wing who monitored national soil survey and responsible for land use planning known as National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) has come out with very shocking survey of degradation of cultivable land after introduction of chemical farming in India and excessive use of chemicals and pesticides and very wrong crop patterns adopted by farmers and promoted by state and Agriculture university has resulted in more than 120 million hector which is in deteriorated condition.

Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) farmers activist group has urged central Govt. of India tp publish wihte paper on recent survey of vot.National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) that of the total 329 million hectare land area of the country, 120.4 million hectare as UPA Govt. has been claiming that they are on doorstep second green revolution with help of genetic engineering promoted America but this survey has exposed failure of so called food sufficiency brought about by the Green Revolution as truth of its consequences on the quality of land and water in the country has left farming community to keep land without cultivation that has crossed 120 million hector mark hence there should be national debate , Kishor Tiwari, president Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working for cotton farmer rights in a Press release today.

"we have raising this issue of degradation soil in vidarbha due wrong cultivation practices and non-fertility of land resulting very low yield asking farmers to either commit suicide or quit farming ,this is very serious issue as review over uncontrolled use of toxic chemicals and fertilizers to increase the yield of crops should be addressed.we demand complete ban on chemical farming in agrarian crisis hit area where farmers are being forced for mono crop and using unregulated fertilizer and pesticides" Tiwari added.

"Now Govt. own survey says that many regions of India where dry land farmers are doing cash crops like cotton sugarcane , there is severe degradation land due to reasons like soil erosion, accumulation of toxic waste, saline deposits, wind erosion, water logging, hence corective action by state is must " Tiwari added.

'National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP) survey throw light on several faulty practices in agriculture, which is now largely dependant on market forces, has led to this scenario ,has done the grate ecological damge to fertility of Indian soil . VJAS demads remedial measures of the report should be implemented, like bringing about a sustainable level of productivity without compromising on soil ecology hence we demand white paper on the this survey report'Tiwari urged .

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Monday, February 6, 2012

UPA Agrarian policies is responsible for retardation of Agri. Growth: National Agrarian crisis is hitting hard national income National Income, 2011

UPA Agrarian policies is responsible for retardation of Agri. Growth: National Agrarian crisis is hitting hard national income National Income, 2011-12
Nagpur-5th February. 2012
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), today released the advance estimates, for the financial year 2011-12, has exposed once again that the major retardation in agriculture growth has not only brought brown Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to major drop in agriculture growth and has once again put question mark on the on going agriculture policies of UPA which has claimed more than 2 lakhs farmers who are mostly dry land farmers who were forced to shift for very costly rain sensitive cash crop like cotton and sugarcane hence the changes in UPA Agriculture policies are must that will not only increase growth but will also stop on going farmers genocide informed Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti in press note .
“ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the growth rate of 6.9 per cent in GDP during 2011-12 has been in comparison to earlier growth rates of over 8 per cent is due to sudden drop in agriculture, forestry and fishing’ sector is likely to show a growth 2.5 per cent in its GDP during 2011-12, as against the previous year’s growth rate of 7.0 per cent. According to the information furnished by the Department of Agriculture has put question mark on the Agriculture ministry claims of bumper crop and record production of cotton and sugarcane and UPA should change it basic policies in Agriculture which is promoting MNC in name of second green and genetic revolution ” Tiwari added.
Today data once again proved that Indian agriculture is in doldrums. Lakhs of farmers have committed suicide. Millions supplant their meagre earnings from farming by working in local factories and brick kilns, or by migrating to cities to work as labour. Step into the house of a small and marginal farmer, who now comprise 92% of all farming households in India and official from record of 11th Five-Year Plan document, are either degraded or sick. Intensive agriculture has leached nutrients and organic carbon from the soil. When rain-dependent fields account for 60% of India's net sown area farminf are forced Bt.cotton and sugar cane substituting jawar, wheat, paddy, pulses and coarse cereals, Tiwari said
“We have been demanding with UPA govt. not to ignored Indian 70% dry land farmers in the so called second Green Revolution which was designed to crate monopoly of American MNCs but promoting Gm crop which needed plenty of water and chemical inputs. Vidarbha more than 3 million cotton farmers have been trapped in UPA Govt.’s second revolution and it needs drastic change to save innocent farmers and increase GDP in two digit” Tiwari urged.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

तेंदूपत्ता संकलन ग्रामसभेला द्यावे=विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समिती

तेंदूपत्ता संकलन ग्रामसभेला द्यावे= विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समिती
राज्यातील सुमारे ४४० तेंदूपत्ता घटकांच्या लिलावावर तेंदूपत्ता ठेकेदारांनी बहिष्कार टाकल्यामुळे दुसऱ्यांदा हा लिलाव रद्द करण्यात आला. तेंदूपत्ता मोसमात जंगलात आग लागल्यास संबंधित तेंदूपत्ता ठेकेदार जबाबदार राहील. या वनविभागाच्या धोरणाविरुद्ध हा बहिष्कार सुरू असून सरकारने तेंदूपत्ता संकलन घटनात्मक तरतुदीनुसार ग्रामसभेला द्यावे, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने केली आहे. ज्याठिकाणी ग्रामसभा तोडणार नाही त्या ठिकाणी विभागीय तोडणी करावी, असेही समितीने म्हटले आहे.
तेंदूपत्त्यावरील महसूल तेंदूपत्ता मजुरांना खर्च कापून तेंदूपत्ता बोनस म्हणून वाटप करण्याची पद्धत २००६ पासून सुरू आहे. सरकारला तेंदूपत्ता लिलावाद्वारे १०० कोटींचा महसूल प्राप्त होत असून खर्च कापून सुमारे ७५ कोटी रुपये बोनससाठी वाटप करण्यास मजुरांना देण्यात येत आहे. मात्र, तेंदूपत्ता ठेकेदार व अधिकारी मजुरांची ही बोनस वाटपाची पद्धत दोषपूर्ण असल्यामुळे वरचेवर लाटत असल्याच्या शेकडो तक्रारी संपूर्ण तेंदूपत्ता तोडाईच्या घटकांमधून येत आहे. त्यामुळे तेंदूपत्त्यावरील महसुलावर सरकारने वनविभागाचा अधिकार सोडावा व ग्रामसभेमार्फत गावातील जनता तेंदूपत्ता तोडतील व त्यांच्या मर्जीतील ठेकेदारांना सरसकट विकून तात्काळ मजुरी व बोनस घेतील. यामुळे तेंदूपत्ता तोडाईमध्ये तेंदूपत्ता ठेकेदाराची सुरू असलेली हुकूमशाही संपुष्टात येणार असून जंगलाचा होत असलेला ऱ्हास व ठेकेदारांकडून लावण्यात येणाऱ्या आगी तात्काळ बंद होतील, असे विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे किशोर तिवारी यांनी एका पत्रकाद्वारे म्हटले आहे.