Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Telangana state ignites hope for Pro-Vidarbha activists-Deccan Herald


Telangana state ignites hope for Pro-Vidarbha activists

Nagpur, Jul 30, 2013, DHNS :
With Telangana movement nearing culmination, the decades-old simmering Vidarbha state demand has reignited with social activists,
intellectuals and political leaders from the region forming a joint action committee and deciding to hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, on August 5.

Apart from holding staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the pro-Vidarbha leaders have also decided to intensify their agitation in the region by organising dharna in all the 11 districts; an Vidarbha bandh is also being organised. Talking to Deccan Herald from Nagpur over the phone, Vidarbha Jan AndolanSamiti (VJAS) leader and farmland activists, Kishore Tiwari said, “Our demand is older than Telangana. 

Our region because of the indifference of political leaders in Mumbai and western Maharashtra has become fields of death. Everyday we hear of farmers and tribals committing suicide. We want that Vidarbha should be handed over to Vidarbha people and we don't want rulers in the far-off Mumbai to run and ruin our lives.”

Citing history of Vidarbha region, a British commissioner in 1888 had proposed a creation of separate Vidarbha province, and in “the Akola Pact in 1947 it was agreed to create two separate states for Marathi speaking people. one Vidarbha and the second included other areas of the present day Maharashtra.

Monday, July 29, 2013

CWC urged not to ignore Vidarbha along with Telangana

CWC urged not to ignore Vidarbha along with Telangana
Nagpur, Jul 21,2013

Kishore Tiwari President of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an activity group working for farmer ad tribal welfare today urged CWC chairperson and UPA convener Sonia Gandhi not to ignore issue Vidarbha when they are taking final call to separate Telangana from Andhra as Vidarbha is classic example of complete apathy and colonization  as tribal and distressed debt trapped farmers  denied food ,shelter, education, employment  and health cares where farmers killing themselves @ 8 hourly and malnourish tribal’s are dying  due starvation ,the region has been graveyard and some of places are worst than Somalia hence we request CWC to not to ignore  their stand over separate vidrabha   to save 2 billion population who are under  illumination process.CWC has been asked to see the present backlog and socio-economic condition of region which lowermost human value index and making vidrabha dodes not need parliament reffrendum too as most of parties in UPA and BJP is supporting the demand.  
CWC has been recalled the history of  pending demand of vidrabh since 1903 as till the defeat of Raghuji II of Bhonsla dynasty by the Britishers in 1817, Vidarbha was an independent kingdom with Nagpur as Capital. It is said that in 1888, the then British Commissioner had proposed creation of separate Vidarbha Province. In 1903, A week before the Independence of India, the Congress Party Leaders in the Marathi speaking areas of the then C.P. & Berar and Maharashtra entered in to an agreement known as “Akola Pact” on 8th of August, 1947 (Annexure–A). In the Akola Pact it was agreed to establish two separate States of Marathi speaking people, one Vidarbha and second – Rest of Marathi speaking areas of Maharashtra. This pact also agreed to have two separate Legislative Assemblies, separate judiciary, separate Ministry but under one Governor.  In 1948, Dar Commission while discussing the reorganization of States said in its Report recommended Vidrabh state  after that States Reorganization Commission (SRC) under the Chairmanship of Justice Fazal Ali with Shri Hridhyanath Kunjaru and Shri Sardar Panikkar as Members was set up in Dec 1953, known as “Fazal Ali Commission” to examine the reorganisation of the States in the country. The Commission gave its report in 1955 and recommended formation of separate State of Vidarbha on various grounds. The recommendation of the Commission regarding separate State of Vidarbha, which is contained in Chapter VIII of the report, is enclosed as (Annexure C). The salient features are:i) Vidarbha’s traditional financial surplus continues. It may be crore and half of rupees or possibly more. In view of the satisfactory position of Vidarbha and since Maharashtra without grater Bombay is likely to be a deficit area on revenue account to very much greater extent, there is some reluctance to join Maharashtra. There seems to be prima facie clarification for the suspicion that if Vidarbha joins Maharashtra, it cannot be certain that its resources will be spent within its area on suitable development schemes and projects.and There was the fear that Nagpur will be completely over shadowed by the Bombay City, which would be the natural capital of a single Maharashtrian State, if it were created, However, for political reasons, the recommendations of “Fazal Ali Commission” were not accepted and on the contrary efforts were made to give legal status to the Nagpur agreement and also assurances to the people of Vidarbha that their interest in one Marathi speaking State of Maharashtra would be safe-guarded. The Constitution of India was amended in November 1956 and a new Article 371(2) was incorporated, enabling the President of India under article 371(2) to provide for special responsibility of Governor of Maharashtra for the establishment of development Boards for Vidarbha responsibilities ensuring equitable allocation of funds for development expenditure over the areas subject to the requirement of the State as a whole and Equitable arrangement for providing adequate facilities for technical education and vocational training and also adequate opportunities for employment in the  but it failed since formation of Maharashtra hence there is need for reconstruction Maharashtra ,Tiwari added.
It is fact that all 11 districts of western vidarbha are till under the grip of agrarian crisis coupled massive natural calamities , tribal starvation deaths followed by the organized exploitation of illiterate farmers at the hands of unscrupulous moneylenders and hence creation of vidrabha is need of hour . Tiwari said .


Saturday, July 27, 2013

CM visits flood-ruined in Vidarbha: Farmers urged to give Integrated Relief Package

CM visits flood-ruined in Vidarbha: Farmers urged to give Integrated Relief Package  
NAGPUR: 28 JULY 2013

“Yes ground situation in flood-ravaged is very serious as around 80 people died, more than 56 thousands families have been homeless and standing crop in million hector damaged out of which crop under  3 lakhs hector  effected more than 50% as per initial estimates of local administration, all victims who died in rain furry would get Rs 2.5 lakh each and damage to agriculture would be assessed by Sunday evening and a package announced in the Legislature Monday” Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan announced Saturday in Nagpur after touring two places in vidrabha now more than 5 million farmers are keeping high hope with Govt. as part healing touch to debt trapped and distressed farmers who are in the on going Agrarian crisis and epidemic of farm suicides, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) informed today .

“Vidarbha rain-flood crisis needs Integrated Relief Package that should address compensation of crop damages to all farmers as rain is till continued and 50% hypothecated crop damage will not reach to the flood victims due to administrative and political corruption  and property ,credit restoration and fresh crop loan to vidarbha  farmers ,food security for all effected families under antyodaya, free health services as region there are wide spread of Dengue,Gastro and viral fever as all private hospitals are over crowded due to complete failure NRHM   and 100% reimbursement of  fees for higher professional education is need of the hour and Monday’s CM announcement for relief package will be in line with urgent need and minimum requirement” Tiwari  urged CM .
Record rain since 2nd June @ more than 100mm to  200 mm per day has created havoc and most of region which is known as dry land area has been converted in to historic in flood-ravaged areas as region agrarian crisis hit and more are debt trapped and distressed has reported more than 10 thousand farm suicides since 2005 and massive crop failure as per initial report in a million hector due rain furry  and it is that reported due on going rain cotton,soya and paddy under more than 2 million hector is likely damaged calling emergency measure to tackle wet drought in flood-ravaged areas of the region. Many talukas, especially in east Vidarbha, have been badly affected due to very heavy rainfall over the last 52 days. The maximum damage has been to cotton and Soyabean crops. Paddy, which requires lot of water, too is likely to have been damaged and farmers were forced triple-double sowing of costly seed and dosing of fertilizer now in a deep distressed as they arranged it from private money leaders and now even rain stop today crop under 5 million hector yield will not more 50% hence total damges are more than Rs.20,000 crore , Kishore Tiwari of (VJAS) said.
 “We are receiving rain in day that is ten time than we used to get in whole month niether the farmers nor the field is ready to face this massive cloud busting and hostile and helpless administration is adding fuel in the crisis ,it is reported that  east Vidarbha, more than 3.37 lakh hectare, which is over 18% of the total land under cultivation, has been flood hit. The worst affected is Yavatmal district where 20% cropland has been affected by floods caused by the rains. Agriculture officials said that the damage is on the higher side as crop damage is over 50% now Wardha and Chandrapur, Gadchiroli more damages are reported even last year drought hit Buldhana flood has damaged crop as major dams in vidarbha are over flowing causing more damages to crop vidarbha more than 80  casualties of human being reported thousands of cattle died in rain and flood hence we want central intervention declaring wet drought in vidrabha and relief aid to dying farming community of vidrabha” Tiwari urged.   .


“Around 10 Million of population of rural vidrabha are facing rain furry and are not getting food ,electricity and medical health there are wide spread protest and cry but administration is not able to give any aid ,officials till assessing the flood crisis and requisite relief aid is awaiting their survey  that will take another month that  more irritating hence  we want chief minister should visit to flood hit vidrabha and order the relief” Tiwari urged. 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Tribal Vidarbha Farm widows urge Mah. CM to visit flood effected starved families


Vidarbha Rain Havoc continued: Farm widows urge Mah. CM to visit starved families  
Nagpur-26th July 2013  
Tribal Farm widows Kavita Santosh Sidam of village mangi  and Radha Anil Marape village Thanegoan  in yavatmal district where their husband committed suicide in this week due to crop damaged in heavy flood and rain fury  urged Mahrashtra chief minister Prthiviraj Chavan   who is on vidarbha tour to asses flood damages on 28-29 July to visit their homes to see ongoing starvation as in last 72 hours heavy rain added fuel as two farm labours  1.subhash Rathode of village Parjana and shriram mundale of village chikhaldara killed  themselves in yavatmal district due to poverty and hunger as last one month continuous rain there is no work for tribal farm labour resulting in starvation, Kishore Tiwari of vidarbha janandolan Samiti (VJAS)informed in press release today.
Earlier on Monday and Thursday Santosh Sidam of Mangi village and Anil Marape of Thanegoan village in Yavatmal district and Charan Rathode from village Parsoda in Amravati district ended their lives after watching their standing crop of cotton, soya and paddy submerge and rot but no official from administration visited ill fated families even after these farm suicides widely reported in media forcing these two farm widows  Kavita Santosh Sidam of village mangi  and Radha Anil Marape village Thanegoan  to request Maharashtra CM to visit their home and give healing touch who are innocent victims historic rain which has damaged crop  and ruined their life ,now more than million farm families are awaiting the relief aid but administration is awaiting CM visit and they are busy in report preparation tribal deptt. Failed disbursed FOOD LOAN under I.TD.P.   Popularly known as  khawati karz even after fund has been received and if CM is visiting these flood hit tribal area at least food aid will be possible ,Tiwari added.
The Maharashtra government, it will be recalled has steadfastly refused to declare a wet drought in Vidarbha, where the otherwise arid region has been lashed with very heavy rains right from June, leaving it flood-ravaged. The situation has been particularly bad in the east Vidarbha which has seen unprecedented heavy rainfall in the last 52 days. While maximum damage has been to cotton and soyabean crops, paddy, which requires lot of water, too is being damaged due to the incessant rain and farmers have been forced to sow thrice besides spending on expensive fertilizer and even if the rain stops now, the 5 million hectares on which standing crops have been damaged will not yield more than 50%. That alone works out to a cumulative loss of Rs 10,000 crores as vidarbha is receiving ten times the rain it get in a whole month in a day. The administration simply blames it on localised cloud-bursts but that is not bring any succor to the farmers ,there is urgent need to start relief operation ,tiwari urged.
Apart from Yavatmal, Wardha, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli too are reporting heavy crop damage. In fact officials at the Divisional commissioner's office admitted being baffled by reports of crops loss due to floods from the perennially drought-hit Buldhana as major dams in the region are over-flowing. "There are reports of thousands of cattle too dying," admitted an official who added, The respective collectorates in the districts will take a month to complete the survey and recommend compensation for the loss, it is reported.
The ground condition is too gloomy and prevailing distress and despair due heavy losses  in the region which is already at the epicenter of the country's worst agrarian crisis as more than 10 million people in rural Vidarbha are facing difficulty without food, electricity and healthcare. People are angry and want the government to act quickly and provide them relief, Tiwari said.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

विदर्भातील १0 लाख हेक्टरमधील पिके बुडाली

विदर्भातील १0 लाख हेक्टरमधील पिके बुडाली



मागील २ जूनपासून सतत पडत असलेल्या पावसामुळे विदर्भात अती पाऊस व पुरामुळे अभूतपूर्व परिस्थिती निर्माण झाली आहे. संपूर्ण विदर्भातील १0 लाख हेक्टर खरीप पिके नष्ट झाली असून शेतकर्‍यांना कमीतकमी २0 हजार कोटींचा फटका बसला आहे, तर उर्वरित २५ लाख हेक्टर मधील कापूस, सोयाबीन व धानाचे पीक नापिकीग्रस्त झाले आहे. सतत होत असलेल्या पावसामुळे ही पिकेही डुबण्याची गंभीर परिस्थिती निर्माण झाली आहे. सरकारने २५ हजार रुपये प्रतिहेक्टर घोषित केलेली मदत १0 लाख हेक्टरच्या सर्व शेतकर्‍यांना कोणतीही अट न घालता सरसकट तत्काळ द्यावी, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली आहे.
या वर्षी महिन्याभर्‍यात पडणारा १00 मिमी. पाऊस एकाच दिवसात पडत आहे. मागील गुरुवारी चंद्रपूर येथे तर एकाच दिवसात सुमारे ३00 मीमी. पावसाची नोंद करण्यात आली. अशाच प्रकारे भयंकर पाऊस संपूर्ण विदर्भात पडत असून ४ महिन्यांच्या मान्सूनमध्ये पडणार्‍या पावसाची सरासरी ४ आठवड्यात पूर्ण झाली आहे. यामुळे संपूर्ण पिके नष्ट होऊन पुराच्या तडाख्याने हजारो घरांचे नुकसान झाले आहे. अनेक ठिकाणी प्रशासकीय अधिकारी पोहोचलेच नसल्याने विषयाची गंभीरता त्यांना कळलेली नाही. महाराष्ट्राचे मुख्यमंत्री येत्या शनिवार व रविवारला पूरग्रस्त भागाचा हवाई दौरा करणार असून नापिकीग्रस्त शेतकर्‍यांना दिलासा देणार असल्याचे बोलल्या जात आहे. यावरच आता शेतकर्‍यांच्या आशा टिकून आहेत. या वर्षी शेतकर्‍यांनी दुबार व तिबार पेरणी केल्याने कोरडवाहू सोबतच सिंचन सुविधा असणारे, तर अल्प भूधारक सोबत मोठे शेतकरीही प्रचंड अडचणीत आले आहेत. अती पावसामुळे कर्जबाजारी शेतकरी आत्महत्येचा मार्ग स्वीकारत आहेत. मागील २ दिवसात मंगी येथील संतोष सिडाम व ठाणेगाव येथील अनिल मरापे यांच्या आत्महत्येकडे किशोर तिवारी यांनी जिल्हा प्रशासनाचे लक्ष वेधले आहे. कर्जबाजारी व नैराश्यग्रस्तांच्या आत्महत्या टाळण्यासाठी सरकारने या शेतकर्‍यांना आर्थिक मदत, नवीन पीककर्ज, ६ महिन्यांसाठी अन्नसुरक्षा, सर्व शेतकर्‍यांच्या मुलांना मोफत उच्चशिक्षण व मोफत आरोग्य सुविधा देण्याची मागणी किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली आहे.
विदर्भात नगदी पीक कापूस व सोयाबीनचे नुकसान प्रचंड प्रमाणात झाले आहे. आता त्या ठिकाणी पर्यायी पिके तूर व ज्वारी घेण्यासाठी व उशिरा खरीपमध्ये घेण्यात येणार्‍या परंपरागत पिकाकडे शेतकर्‍यांनी वळावे याकरीता सरकारने विशेष अनुदान द्यावे व त्याकरिता कृषी विभागाने विशेष योजना सुरू करावी अशी मागणी किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली आहे

Monday, July 22, 2013

Vidarbha Farmers welcome Supreme Court committee’s “NO” to GM crops

Vidarbha Farmers welcome Supreme Court committee’s “NO” to GM crops

Nagpur-23rd July 2013
3 million debt trapped distressed cotton farmers who are innocent victims of first Genetically modified (GM) crop Bt.cotton commercial trials resulting more than 10,800 farmers suicides have welcomed recommendations of  Supreme Court technical expert committee imposing an indefinite moratorium on the field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops till the government comes out with a proper regulatory and safety mechanism.
“Vidarbha is known as farm suicide capital of India after 2004 when Indian Govt.  allowed very rain sensitive Bt.cotton commercial trials which has proved as disaster as Technology was suitable for dry land cotton farmers and successive bt.cotton crop failure and mounting debt has started farm suicide spiral which is till continued and this truth was confirmed by Indian parliamentary committee headed by Basudeo Achaya MP reports too but cartel in Agri. Ministry and close liaison of MNCs  has been able push GM crops even after this vidarbha farmers’ genocide  hence we are indebted with  Supreme Court technical expert committee historic decision”    Kishore Tiwari President of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an activity group working for farmer and demanding ban on GM crop since 2004  said in press release today . 

“We urge UPA Govt. to scrap proposed e Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, 2013, which is pending with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest as  expert committee in its report to the Supreme Court said there should be a moratorium on field trials for Genetically Modified food crops like Bt Brinjal intended for commercialization until there is more definitive information from sufficient number of studies as to their long-term safety based on the examination of the safety dossiers, it is apparent that there are major gaps in the regulatory system as it is serious that GM crops for which India is a centre of origin like rice, brinjal, and mustard now being kept on hold which reflects view of the  Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, in a report August 2012 had asked for ban on GM food crops in the country” Tiwari added.
 ‘Vidarbha cotton farmers has paid cost  misdeeds done by regulators which  ignored several issues relating to health safety data of GM crops that biotechnology companies had used to obtain approvals aimed at commercial release of the crops without any socio-economic impact study during evaluation, the panel said ,that has confirmed by apex court technical committee hence we want criminal prosecution against concerned who allowed Bt.cotton seed  commercial trails in dry land region of vidrabha where there is no protected irrigation facility  as farmers forced to kill themselves due to massive crop failure and mounting debt converting region as graveyard  or dying field of farmers and tragedy is till continued’ Tiwari added.


Heavy Rain-Flood in Vidarbha Damaged Million Hector crop forcing Debt Trapped Farmers Suicides

Heavy Rain-Flood in Vidarbha Damaged Million Hector crop forcing Debt Trapped Farmers Suicides
NAGPUR: 22 JULY 2013
Record rain since 2nd june @ more than 100mm to  200 mm per day has created havoc and most of region which is known as dry land area has been converted in to historic in flood-ravaged areas as region agrarian crisis hit and more are debt trapped and distressed has reported more than 10 thousand farm suicides since 2005 and massive crop failure as per initial report in a million hector due rain furry and flood has forced three more farm suicides in last 72 hours intensified as Santosh Sidam of village Mangi and Anil Marape of village Thanegoan both from yavamal and Charan Rathode from village Parsoda in Amaravati district  when heavy rain damaged the standing crop  of cotton and soya and as per damages being reported due on going rain cotton,soya and paddy under more than 2 million hector is likely damaged calling emergency measure to tackle wet drought in flood-ravaged areas of the region. Many talukas, especially in east Vidarbha, have been badly affected due to very heavy rainfall over the last 52 days. The maximum damage has been to cotton and Soyabean crops. Paddy, which requires lot of water, too is likely to have been damaged and farmers were forced triple-double sowing of costly seed and dosing of fertilizer now in a deep distressed as they arranged it from private money leaders and now even rain stop today crop under 5 million hector yield will not more 50% hence total damges are more than Rs.10,000 crore , Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) informed today .

 “We are receiving rain in day that is ten time than we used to get in whole month niether the farmers nor the field is ready to face this massive cloud busting and hostile and helpless administration is adding fuel in the crisis ,it is reported that  east Vidarbha, more than 2 lakh hectare, which is over 10% of the total land under cultivation, has been flood hit. The worst affected is Yavatmal district where 20% cropland has been affected by floods caused by the rains. Agriculture officials said that the damage is on the higher side as crop damage is over 50% now Wardha and Chandrapur, Gadchiroli more damages are reported even last year drought hit Buldhana flood has damaged crop as major dams in vidarbha are over flowing causing more damages to crop vidarbha more than 50  casualties of human being reported thousands of cattle died in rain and flood hence we want central intervention declaring wet drought in vidrabha and relief aid to dying farming community of vidrabha” Tiwari urged.   .


“Around 10 Million of population of rural vidrabha are facing rain furry and are not getting food ,electricity and medical health there are wide spread protest and cry but administration is not able to give any aid ,officials till assessing the flood crisis and requisite relief aid is awaiting their survey  that will take another month that  more irritating hence  we want chief minister should visit to flood hit vidrabha and order the relief” Tiwari urged. 

Saturday, July 20, 2013

ShivSena’s ‘No’ to separate Vidarbha is unfortunate Now BJP should come clean on Issue-VJAS

ShivSena’s  ‘No’ to separate Vidarbha is unfortunate Now BJP  should come Clean on Issue-VJAS

Nagpur, Jul 21,2013

Kishore Tiwari President of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), an activity group working for farmer ad tribal welfare today termed Shivsena supreme Udhav Thakare's opposition to creation of  vidarbha state in PC at Delhi on Friday  as :Unfortunate" and  demanded that the BJP who is backing separate Telangana should declare its National Policy on Vidarbha in light with recent SS provocation on issue.
‘When Shivsena failed to keep it’s own party unified ,now Udhav Thakare’s stand on unified Maharashtra is most unwanted as it's matter of masses of region to decide their future and Thakare’s brothers can’t decide fate of more 2 core Marathi Manus who are denied food ,shelter, education, employment  and health cares where farmers killing themselves @ 8 hourly and malnourished tribal’s are dying  due starvation ,the region has been graveyard and some of places are worst than Somalia hence we request Thakare brothers to review their stand over separate vidrabha   to save Marathi Manus illumination process’ Tiwari urged.

 ‘It is fact that all 11 districts of  vidarbha are till under the severe grip of Agrarian Crisis coupled massive natural calamities , tribal starvation deaths followed by the organized exploitation of illiterate farmers at the hands of unscrupulous moneylenders and the opposition is sharing power with Congress-NCP but Thakare’s brothers are not even asking their parties  raise these issue in legislative houses and  SS is salient over 84 thermal power plants projects of private energy producers proposed to come up vidarbha and massive backlog of development in all fields v.i.z. Irrigation,Industrialization,Health Services etc hence Udhav Thakare’s sympathy and concern toward the farmers in the vidarbha is nothing but a crocodile’s tear’ Tiwari said .
“BJP is keeping salient over vidrabha and backing the formation of Telangana when they have passed resolution of separate vidrabha in National executive decade ago hence  we therefore, demand on behalf of the debt-ridden farmers and farm widows of Vidarbha that the BJP high command make public its national policy on vidrabha statehood ”Tiwari added.



Friday, July 19, 2013

Implement Akshaya Patra Yojanato prevent tragedy in Maharashtra schools: IANS

Implement APY to prevent tragedy in Maharashtra schools: VJAS









A voluntary organisation Friday urged the  government to implement the APY (Akshaya Patra Yojana) scheme in the state to prevent recurrence of a tragedy like  in which 23 school children died after eating mid-day meal.

In a letter to Education Minister Rajendra Darda and Tribal Development Minister Madhukar Pichat, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) chief Kishore Tiwari said the APY scheme supplies hygienic food cooked in centralised kitchens to over 1.30 million kids in more than 9,000 government schools in the country daily.
The APY is currently functioning in Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and aims to serve five million children daily by 2020.
"At present, the mid-day meal scheme (in Maharashtra) is in a very pathetic condition. Food given in tribal schools is too bad. Time has come to start the centralised kitchen meal scheme," Tiwari said in the letter.
"We have always said that we are a very rich country with a lot of poor people, that's the sad part of it. Our government has very good programmes, very good leaders and a huge budget. But the challenge in our country is how to deliver these good programmes up to the last mile," says Chanchalapathi Dasa, vice chairman of Akshaya Patra Foundation, on the foundation's website.
"I think that with everybody's support and with the power of music, we are going to spread it like anything," said APY brand ambassador singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan.
According to Tiwari, Maharashtra has an annual outlay of more than Rs.10,000 crore for providing food to school children. But corruption and mismanagement has marred its implementation.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

When Leelabai runs the farm-P. Sainath

Opinion » Columns » Sainath

Published: July 17, 2013 01:11 IST | Updated: July 17, 2013 01:11 IST

When Leelabai runs the farm

P. Sainath
THE LAND LADY: While Ashanna is a symbol of success in agriculture in these parts, Leelabai is the woman behind the achievement. Photo: P. Sainath
The Hindu
THE LAND LADY: While Ashanna is a symbol of success in agriculture in these parts, Leelabai is the woman behind the achievement. Photo: P. Sainath

In a region of poor yields, a gritty woman farmer succeeds even in years of crop failure. But high costs are depleting Vidarbha’s success stories

“I am the farmer, he did no farming. He only moons over his cattle, he loves those cows (even if they yield just a litre of milk each). Men hang around the village, women are in the fields.”
Leelabai is speaking of one of Yavatmal’s most famous farmers, Ashanna Totawar. He is something of a legend, a man credited with record yields in cotton and soybean even in years of major crop failure in Yavatmal. Ashanna is a gentle, experienced man who has closely observed farming in the Vidarbha region across 50 years. He is also Leelabai’s husband. The couple live in Pimpri village adjoining Panderkauda town, a major cotton market in Yavatmal district, Maharashtra.
Leelabai holds her husband in great respect and affection. She has little formal education, but is highly-skilled and trained by her own experience. On farming, she believes in telling it like it is. Especially when it comes to who really does the farming. “Bai (women),” she says. “And they do it better.”
Her knowledge, having been the main farmer on a highly successful holding for decades, is impressive. Also because she was the decision-maker in both farming and finances.
We met Leelabai at the home of Lalita Anandrao Gandhewar. Lalita’s husband, Namdeo committed suicide on May 20 this year, another digit in Maharashtra’s frightening farm suicide numbers. (No less than 3,786 last year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.) Ashanna was there at the Gandhewar home, too.
After speaking to Lalita on what drove Namdeo to suicide, we chatted with Ashanna, the legendary farmer. Leelabai was squatting on the floor, almost in the next room in the darkened house, so we couldn’t even see her. But she made herself heard, butting in freely to address our ignorance.

On the field

“We desperately need to go back to more sensible farming. The costs of cultivation and the lack of proper price for produce — that’s killing us.”
Later, in their own home, Leelabai told us her story.
“When we started, it was possible in some places to acquire 40 acres of land for Rs.10,000. Today, you won’t get one acre for Rs.40,000 anywhere.
“The kind of inputs we now use invite serious problems. Weedicide, for instance, is not controlling the grass, it is damaging the plant and soil. It and other chemicals are eroding soil fertility. We are killing the soil.
“Ten years ago, we used much less pesticide. Now, even when yields are higher, the profit is less.
“Either we change many of the things we are doing or we will destroy agriculture.”
They were still children when they got married in 1965. He was a homeless orphan related to her family and chosen by her grandparents to be Leelabai’s husband. She dropped out of Class IV before marrying him. Today, she is 63 and he 67, she thinks, though both could be older. No one can be sure, though, since few kept records in those days. Neither had an inch of land to their names. Leelabai set about changing that after marriage, slaving in the fields to build both an income and a top-class farm.

Scant recognition

In a society where the man is always regarded the farmer and “head of the household,” the credit inevitably went (and still does) to Ashanna. As with women cultivators across most of India, Leelabai is seen as a “farmer’s wife” and not a farmer in her own right. Like anywhere else, women do the bulk of farming work here too, with little recognition of their massive contribution. Ashanna is a symbol of success in agriculture in these parts. But Leelabai is the architect of that success. To his credit, he recognises it. As for Leelabai, she is clear about it.
“I was always the farmer. Ashanna was a petrol pump attendant earning Rs.70 a month for a long time.” (Ashanna agrees that he only left that job some 15 years ago. By then his wife had built a thriving farm.)
“First, from the money I saved from all the work I did, I bought four acres for Rs.1,000 each. That was in 1969.”
Not just any acres — but excellent black cotton soil, land she chose herself.
“Those four acres are now worth Rs.50 lakh. (This plot is along a highway that has sent land prices soaring.) Then in 1971, I selected and bought 20 acres for Rs.9,000.
This she followed up with the purchase of 15 acres for Rs.25,000 in 1973 and four more acres for Rs.35,000 in 1985. And finally, another 10 acres for Rs.70,000 in 1991.
“I also sold off some acres along the way. So today we have 40.”
“All our food is from our own fields. I grow paddy on one acre, wheat on two, and jowar on 10. (Giving 10 acres tojowar is a very rare thing here.) The remaining land is equally divided between kapas (cotton) and soybean.” On the farm, Leelabai decides what to grow where, and when. And she is in the fields much of the time, most days, working. Which has a lot to do with their regularly hitting the 10 quintal-per-acre mark in both cotton and soybean. The average in this region is far lower.
She has built a beautiful house — and carefully constructed a lot of storage space around it. This enables her to preserve her cotton safely and for much longer than others, and so hold out for a better price from the traders. While most growers sold their crop for around Rs.3,800 a quintal here late in 2012, Leelabai’s family was able to hold on to its cotton until February this year. She finally sold at Rs.4,200 a quintal.
“We also have some 14 head of cattle. That includes six bullocks, five cows and three buffaloes.
“He looks after those,” she smiles in the direction of her husband. “He really loves those animals (even if they are not highly productive). We don’t need to ever visit the doctor because we drink only this milk and eat only food we have grown on our own lands.”
But on agriculture: “Something has to happen. Farming cannot continue as it does now. These costs of cultivation, no one can bear. We must have cheaper inputs. And we must get a better price for our cotton and soybean. If there is no change, we’ll all be lining up in the queue after Namdeo Gandhewar.”
sainath.p@thehindu.co.in

Sunday, July 14, 2013

एनएचएआई व ओरिएंटल की सांठगांठ से अरबों की लूट

 एनएचएआई व ओरिएंटल की सांठगांठ से अरबों की लूट 
नागपुर । अनसुलझे सवालों के बीच संदेहों का पुल कदम बढ़ता जा रहा है। तकनीकी रूप से काम शुरू हो चुका है और जल्द ही निर्माण कार्य  शुरू हो सकता है। एनएचएआई व ओरिएंटल की सांठगांठ से अरबों की लूट का रास्ता साफ होता जा रहा है। बूटीबोरी टी प्वाइंट में मारे गए दो युवकों की मौत तो बस बहाना है। 
कंपनी पर क्यों इतना भरोसा : बूटीबोरी तिराहे पर एनएचएआई की तकनीकी टीम के सुझावों से निर्बाध यातायात के लिए फ्लाइओवर प्रस्तावित है। फ्लाईओवर की शुरुआती लागत 21 करोड़ के आसपास आंकी जा रही है। इसके बनने के लिए 1 साल का समय अनुमानित है। हालांकि एनएचएआई ने जिस ओरिएंटल कंपनी को कार्यादेश जारी किया है, उस पर उन्हें कुछ ज्यादा ही भरोसा है। उनके मुताबिक प्रस्तावित फ्लाईओवर समय पूर्व भी बन सकता है। यदि देर होती है तो पूरी परियोजना के लिए अतिरिक्त 30 प्रतिशत रकम और अधिक लगने का अनुमान है।
आ चुका है प्रिंसिपल अप्रूवल
दिल्ली से परियोजना का प्रिंसिपल अप्रूवल आ चुका है। महीने दो महीने के भीतर पूर्ण डिजाइन बनकर तैयार हो जाएगी। बूटीबोरी आरओबी व प्रस्तावित फ्लाइओवर के दरम्यान स्थानीय लोगों की सुविधा के लिए सर्विस रोड में जाने की व्यवस्था का दावा किया जा रहा है। बूटीबोरी फ्लाइओवर के लिए यातायात निवारण की ये सुनहरी तस्वीर परियोजना निदेशक श्री चंद्रशेखर ने संपर्क साधने पर दी। लेकिन इस विस्तृत चर्चा ने कई अहम सवाल भी खड़े कर दिए।
इन सवालों का जवाब नहीं
आखिर बूटीबोरी टी प्वाइंट पर रोड चौड़ा करने को लेकर जब विकल्प प्रस्तुत किया गया तो उस पर प्रयोग क्यों नहीं कियागया? बूटीबोरी आरओबी व प्रस्तावित फ्लाइओवर के दरम्यान सर्विस रोड में राष्टï्रीय राजमार्ग में सर्विस रोड के लिए पंक्चर कैसे दिया जा सकता है? मध्यप्रदेश के सिवनी से नागपुर के बीच एनएचएआई ओरिएंटल सड़क के स्ट्रक्चरल इंजीनियर्स लिमि. इंडिया को टेंडर दिया जाता है। जबकि सड़क के व्यवस्थापन के लिए एम/एस ओरिएंटल नागपुर बायपास कंस्ट्रक्शन प्रायवेट लिमि. करोड़ों में एनएचएआई से किस बात का ले रही है? टेंडर के मुताबिक कुल 90 किलोमीटर की सड़क बनाने का टेंडर एनएचएआई ने ओरिएंटल को जारी किया था।
  किस तर्ज पर मिला ठेका

एचएचएआई इस ओरिएंटल कंपनी को किस तर्ज पर यह ठेका दिया, यह बड़ा सवाल है। इस तिराहे पर 45 दुर्घटनाओं का जो हवाला दिया जा रहा है, उसकी कलई सूचना के अधिकार के तहत बूटीबोरी पुलिस थाने से मांगी गई जानकारी से खुलकर सामने आ चुकी है।  तिराहे पर 2010 के बाद मात्र 2 मौत का खुलासा है, वह भी सवालों में उलझा हुआ। तिराहे पर यातायात नियंत्रण की कोशिशों पर ध्यान नहीं दिया जा रहा है। यहां यातायात विभाग के पुलिसकर्मी तो दिख जाते हैं, मगर उनकी उपयोगिता असरकारक नहीं दिखती। 
 विदर्भ को आर्थिक मजबूती प्रदान करने की जोरदार पहल गत दिनों एडवांटेज विदर्भ के तहत की गई। औद्योगिक इकाईयों की स्थापना के लिए सुनहरे सपने दिखाए गए। उनकी सुविधाओं के लिए योजनाओं का खाका खिंचा, लेकिन, यह कैसा एडवांटेज विदर्भ? बुटीबोरी टी प्वाइंट पर उड़ानपुल का निर्माण कर औद्योगिक इकाईयों की मुश्किलें बढ़ाने का कार्य सुनियोजित ढंग से किया जा रहा है।
लिमिटेड कंपनी का काम प्राइवेट लिमिटेड को? मध्यप्रदेश के सिवनी से महाराष्टï्र के नागपुर तक नेशनल हाइवे अथॉरिटी इंडिया ने जिस ओरिएंटल स्ट्रक्चरल इंजीनियर्स लिमि. को ठेका दिया, उसी ठेकेदार कंपनी को बूटीबोरी टी प्वाइंट में फ्लायओवर बनाने का टेंडर देने की बात कही जा रही है।
लेकिन एनएचएआई के अधिकारिक साइट पर देखा जाए तो प्रस्तावित उड़ानपुल का कार्य ओरिएंटल नागपुर बायपास कंस्ट्रक्शन प्रायवेट लिमि. नाम की कंपनी को दिया गया है। नाम के इस घालमेल की हकीकत क्या है, ये राज बरकरार है।
चुप्पी क्यों? बूटीबोरी में प्रस्तावित इस उड़ानपुल को लेकर चुप्पी क्यों साधी गई है? यह सवाल गहराता जा रहा है। मध्यप्रदेश और महाराष्टï्र में जिस कंपनी के प्रबंध निदेशक, एक कर्मचारी व 2 एमएचएआई की साठ-गांठ को लेकर सीबीआई कार्रवाई कर चुकी है, उसी ठेकेदार कंपनी के पूरे नाम में ही फर्क दिखाई देने पर भी कोई कार्रवाई क्यों नहीं हो पा रही है?
राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग में क्यों खड़ा है रोड़ा
जिले में बूटीबोरी औद्योगिक क्षेत्र का अतिविकसित क्षेत्रों में शुमार है। यहां अनेक औद्योगिक इकाईयां हैं। डोंगरगांव  टोल नाका कहीं फिर शुरू न हो जाए, इस अंदेशे से वे भी परेशान हैं। हाईकोर्ट ने डोंगरगांव टोल नाके को बंद करने के आदेश जारी किए थे, लेकिन बीओटी तत्व पर बनाए जा रहे फ्लायओवर के बहाने टोल वसूली का इशारा  एनएचएआई ने दे ही दिया है। सवाल ये उठता है कि अदालती आदेश से बंद डोंगरगांव टोल नाके का ढांचा राष्टï्रीय राजमार्ग में रोड़ा बने क्यों खड़ा है? क्यों नहीं इसे हटाया जाता? हकीकत कुछ और ही है। फ्लायओवर के लिए टोल नाके से गुजरनेवाले वाहनों का सर्वे किया जा रहा है। सूत्रों ने तो यहां तक बताया कि गुपचुप तरीके से डोंगरगांव टोल नाके में टोल कर्मचारी रहने भी लगे हैं।
बिना निविदा कार्यादेश नहीं हो सकता : मोघे
जिले के विकास के लिए जिम्मेदार पालकमंत्री शिवाजीराव मोघे ने हालांकि प्रस्तावित बूटीबोरी फ्लायओवर की संपूर्ण जानकारी होने से इनकार किया, लेकिन बिना निविदा निकाले किसी कंपनी को कार्यादेश जारी किए जाने पर हैरत जताई। उन्होंने कहा कि ऐसा नहीं हो सकता। करोड़ों रुपयों के काम को एनएचएआई बिना टेंडर के किसी कंपनी को कार्यादेश कैसे जारी कर सकती है? प्रस्तावित उड़ानपुल के कार्य से जुड़े हर पहलू को समझने के बाद टिप्पणी देने की बात उन्होंने कही।
वासनिक से चर्चा करेंगे मुत्तेमवार
नागपुर के सांसद विलास मुत्तेमवार ने मामले की पूरी जानकारी न होने की बात कही। उन्होंने कहा कि संबंधित परिसर मेरे कार्यक्षेत्र से बाहर है, फिर भी पूर्व कैबिनेट मंत्री मुकुल वासनिक से इस बारे में चर्चा करूंगा।

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

भारतीय न्यायपालिकेच्या कार्य पद्धतीवर प्रधान सचिव अनंत कळसे यांच्या घणाघाती टीकेची मुख्य न्यायाधीयांकडे तक्रार : कोर्टाच्या हस्तक्षेपामुळे प्रशासनाला काम करणे कठीण प्रधान सचिवाचा खुला आरोप

भारतीय न्यायपालिकेच्या कार्य पद्धतीवर प्रधान सचिव अनंत कळसे यांच्या  घणाघाती टीकेची मुख्य न्यायाधीयांकडे तक्रार : कोर्टाच्या हस्तक्षेपामुळे  प्रशासनाला काम करणे कठीण प्रधान सचिवाचा खुला आरोप 
नागपूर-दिनांक ९ जुले २०१३
रातुम नागपूर विद्यापीठात दिनांक ८  जुले २०१३ आयोजित पं. जवाहरलाल नेहरू स्मृती व्याख्यानमालेतंर्गत 'कॉन्ट्रीब्युशन ऑफ पंडित नेहरू इन पार्लमेंट' या विषयावर भाष्य करताना राज्याचे प्रधान सचिव  अनंत कळसे यांनी भारतीय न्यायपालिकेच्या कार्य पद्धतीवर केलेली टीका वादात आली असून प्रधान सचिवानी आपली मर्यादा सोडून भारतीय न्यायपालिकेच्या कार्य पद्धतीवर अपमान केला या मस्तवाल अधिकाऱ्याला न्यायपालिकेने दंडित करावे अशी मागणी  विदर्भ जनांदोलन समितीचे संयोजक किशोर तिवारी यांनी मुख्य न्यायाधीयांकडे  केलेल्या तक्रारीत केली आहे .
या
तक्रारीत प्रधान सचिव अनंत कळसे यांनी विधानाची बातमी जोडली असून त्यात नुसार हा मस्तवाल सनदी अधिकाऱ्याने म्हटले आहे की … " कोर्टाच्या हस्तक्षेपामुळे लोकशाही शासन व्यवस्थेत विधायिका सर्वश्रेष्ठ असून, हल्ली न्यायालयांच्या अवास्तव हस्तक्षेपामुळे प्रशासनाला काम करणे कठीण झाले आहे . न्यायालय हे कायद्याच्या अंमलबजावणीसाठी असून, त्यांना कायदेनिर्मितीचे अधिकार नाहीत. परंतु, वर्तमानात न्यायालयाने प्रत्येक गोष्टीत हस्तक्षेप करणे सुरू केले आहे. महिलांची 'डिलिव्हरी' वगळता प्रत्येक गोष्टीत न्यायालयीन हस्तक्षेप असतो. आजघडीला सरकारकडून कुठलाही निर्णय किंवा योजना घोषित झाला की, त्याला विरोध करणारे पुढे येतातच. अनेक प्रकरणात न्यायालयात जनहित याचिका दाखल केली जाते. त्यामुळे प्रशासकीय कामकाजात न्यायालयाचा हस्तक्षेप प्रचंड वाढला आहे. वास्तविक पाहता एखादी योजना किंवा कायदा बनविणे किंवा तिची अंमलबजावणी करणे हे संसद व विधिमंडळाच्या अधिकारक्षेत्रात येते. कायद्याचा अर्थ लावणे एवढे र्मयादित काम असलेल्या न्यायालयांनी हल्ली प्रत्येकच गोष्टीत ढवळाढवळ सुरू केली आहे. त्यामुळे प्रशासनाला काम करणे कठीण होऊन झाले आहे .
रातुम नागपूर विद्यापीठात आयोजित पं. जवाहरलाल नेहरू स्मृती व्याख्यानमालेतंर्गत 'कॉन्ट्रीब्युशन ऑफ पंडित नेहरू इन पार्लमेंट' या विषयावर भाष्य करताना राज्याचे प्रधान सचिव  अनंत कळसे बोलत होते. याप्रसंगी आ. नागो गाणार, कुलगुरू डॉ. सपकाळ, कुलसचिव डॉ. अशोक गोमाशे आणि प्र-कुलगुरू डॉ. महेशकुमार येन्की व्यासपीठावर उपस्थित होते हि बाब सुधा गंभीरच आहे . 
महाराष्ट्रात राजकीय नेते नोकरशाही पुढे लाचार असून सर्व अधिकारी  मस्तवाल झाले आहेत त्यांची मजल भारतीय न्यायपालिकेच्या कार्य पद्धतीवर  टीका करण्या पर्यंत गेली आहे हि बाब गंभीर असून यावर सखोल  चर्चा होणे गरजेचे आहे कारण सारे सरकार भारतीय न्यायपालिकेच्या निर्णयावर चालत आहे एका प्रधान सचिव पदाच्या अधिकाऱ्याने असे विधान लोकशाही शासन व्यवस्थेत फारच खातक आहे असा आरोप तिवारी यांनी केला आहे 

Sunday, July 7, 2013

ShreeSurya Scam:CM urged to Protect Investors


Maharashtra CM urged to Protest ‘ShreeSurya Group’ Investors under MPID
 
 
Nagpur dated July 7, 2013
 
After country rocked with chit fund scam in west Bengal where meddle class people lured with towering return dumped now around a 10 thousand investors from farm crisis hit vidarbha and Marathwada likely face same fate as Shreesurya Group floated by a group close to BJP-RSS high profile leaders has been under public scanner in the midst of a fresh controversy suspecting another Mega Investment Scam and it is alleged that   Shreesurya Group trapped around 10 thousands innocent  people offering  high dreams of rich future within short span of time as per media reports that shresurya offered around 40% interest on deposit nut now forget the interest investors are finding difficult to get back their own money  more surprisimg this company is not  registered with Reserve Bank of India or Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) which is illegal as per state’s money leading act. controlled by DDR but nobody has questioned the company as on today  hence Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chvan  has been urged to initiate the action under Maharashtra protection of investors deposit act 1999 (MPID)  against  Shreesurya Group promoters in order to save these investors ,Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jandolan  Samiti(VJAS)  informed in press release today.
 
It is reported that Shreesurya Group should give investors a membership collecting  Rs 21,000 then members where asked to give fix deposits and they were promised that amount will be doubled in 2 and half year and many members were given interest @ 4 per month till feb.,2013 where as Shreesurya Group invested these huge money in  business areas- Logistics, Travel and Tourism, Dairy Products, Financial Services, Health Care, Edible Oil, IT Services, Infrastructure, Soft Drinks, Bakery Products, Supermarts, Restaurants, Garments, Media, Spa- Saloon and Gym and as per company web portal it is reported that ‘Having started as a small localized establishment with 3 people, the Organization grew from strength to strength & family establishment a positive brand image with a team count of over 100’  but as per one of  investor  ‘Shreesurya  have reduced rate of interest even for existing deposits and they will be paying only 50% of the amount due  i.e. Rs.6250/- against Rs.12500/-and that too by post dated cheques without any guarantee that the cheques will be passed and  Balance 50% we have to forget. This is clear case of cheating and fraud. They have diverted the money into construction of buildings and other business. All the depositors should form a Group to initiate complaints against the promoters of Shreesurya Group. to Police Authorities, SEBI, RBI, Govt. of Maharashtra etc. Criminal complaints can be filed against the promoters against bounced cheques, under Section 138 of Negotiable Instruments Act for issuing cheques without keeping sufficient balance in the account”  investor added.
Recently Shreesurya Group  scam was reported in electronic and print media but administration and police have turned blind eye but now investors are gathering before the Shreesurya Group  office and crying for money but they are finding helpless as administration has turned blind eye to this scam earlier too , one  Pramod Agarwal has dumped thousands of investors to tune  of Rs 100 crore on the name of Mahadev Land Developers and  Ullas Khaire had dumped  around 1 lakh people of Rs 1,100 crore and now this Shreesurya Group likely repeat the same story hence we are urging Mah. CM to initiate action under  Maharashtra protection of investors deposit act 1999 (MPID)  against  Shreesurya Group Promoters so that innocent investors hard earn money is protected ,Kishore Tiwari added. 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

VJAS welcome the ordinance to implement Food Security Bill


VJAS  welcome the ordinance to implement Food Security Bill
Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti  (VJAS) has welcomed the  union  cabinet decision to issue  an ordinance to implement the food security bill that will guarantee ffod security two-thirds of the Indian population  and proposes to supply 5 kg of rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs. 3, Rs. 2, Rs. 1 per kg, respectively, every month to three-fourths of rural population and half the urban population in the country, Kishor Tiwari of  VJAS informed in press release today.
“Those who understand poverty and hunger in rural India and starvation and malnutrition death tribal region of India, would not have opposed the ordinance, in fact universal food security bill is pending before the Nation since 2004 and hunger is killing million. Political parties who believe in vote bank based caste base equation or fundamental emotional religious issues will find ton of arguments to oppose the food security ordinance but such opposition to create obstacle in food for all poor  will hammer their long term prospects of changing the power at the centre hence we urge all political parties to support the ordinance and get implements without any leakages and corruption  in public distribution system (PDS) in rural part of India” Tiwar.

It is reported the universal food security  programme would require more than 61 million tons of foodgrain and is expected to cost the government about Rs 1,25,000 crore and the state governments will now have to identify the beneficiaries on a war footing through an open transparent criteria and that is tough task as progressive state like Maharashtra has been using BPL survey of year 1997 as base intensify  real   needy poor who needs  food security which is long pending demand of the VJAS which is agitating since 2001 and moved Mumbai high court and Maharashtra human right commission (MHRC) in past but even after direction from high court families under BPL and tribal are denied food security hence we want urgent lunching of scheme, Tiwari added.

‘This is most unfortunate that even supreme court India has created right of food but main opposition parties has not taken up issue   when  administration has not been giving  food security to all illegible families as per provision of food control order 2001 and existing list of year 1999 of BPL families  and those critising ordinance of food security has no time to look at the supreme court of India clear cut guidelines and union control Food Control Order -2001 that every year list of BPL families under PDS food security scheme should renewed as per list submitted by Village Panchayat in it’s “Gramsabha”, in fact UPA food security is under  to enforce supreme court direction and guidelines of  Food Control Order 2001 which is most welcome step even after it is taken after 12 years ,Tiwari added.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Cotton, Soya MSP Hike too little-TIMES OF INDIA



Cotton, soya MSP hike too little: Farm leaders

NAGPUR: Union government's Commission for Agriculture Cists and prices (CAC) has finally announced the revised minimum support price (MSP) for major kharif crops. However, farm leaders from Vidarbha are not so happy and have pointed out that price-hike for the region's main cash crops of cotton and soyabean was too little and very late.

As per the CACP announcements MSP for cotton has been raised by Rs100 per quintal. The new rates will be between Rs3,700 and Rs4,000 depending on the fibre quality. For soyabean the increase is by Rs360 taking it to Rs2,560 a quintal for the crop year 2013-14. The new MSP for tur is Rs4,300 up by Rs450 per quintal from that of last year but for paddy the increase is just Rs60 from last year's Rs1,250 a quintal.

"Cotton and soya are the two main cash crops and dryland farmers' main sources of income. But, the measly rise given by the government is unfair and unjust. It is much below the open market prices that are prevailing today and these low MSPs would result in prices sliding in open market too," warned Kishore Tiwari, president of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti.

"The MSP should have been announced before the advent of monsoon to enable farmers to decide which crop to take up. But, CACP took its own time in making the announcement and that to towards June-end when most of the farmers of the suicide-prone Vidarbha region have finished sowing operations thanks to timely rains this time," said Tiwari. He also said that tur MSP hike is misleading as the earlier bonus payment of Rs500 a quintal would now be discontinued.

Farmers' leader and Shetkari Sanghatana founder-member Vijay Jawandhiya was also unhappy with the meagre hike. "There is a huge gap between the MSP and the open market rates prevailing today. In fact, the state government had recommended much higher prices but the CACP declined their plea saying that the international prices too were low and hence it did notwarrant higher rates for the crops here," said Jawandhiya. He said the state had recommended a price of Rs6,068 for cotton, Rs3,957 for soya and Rs4,546 for tur.

"Had the rupee value not slipped against dollar, the open market rates would have come down drastically," said Jawandhiya. "The government should realize that dryland farmers have to battle with vagaries of nature as well as of markets. Prices of all inputs, including labour have gone up by 25%, cost of living has gone up. This is the reason why the Union government recently granted a 8% hike in dearness allowance to lakhs of its employees. But, when it comes to farmers, the government shows its usual insensitivity," said Jawandhiya.

Monday, July 1, 2013

कापूस व सोयाबीनचा हमीभाव शासनाकडूनच शेतकर्‍यांवर अन्याय

कापूस व सोयाबीनचा हमीभाव  शासनाकडूनच शेतकर्‍यांवर अन्याय 
 स्थानिक प्रतिनिधी/ यवतमाळ
कृषिमूल्य आयोगाने २८ जून रोजी येत्या खरीप हंगामाकरिता कापूस, तूर, सोयाबीन व धान या विदर्भातील पिकांचे हमीभाव जाहीर केले आहेत. सरकारने अंतिम स्वरूपात जाहीर केलेले हमीभाव फारच कमी आहेत. महाराष्ट्र सरकारने कृषिमूल्य आयोगाच्या वाढीव हमीभावाबाबत पाठपुरावा न केल्यामुळे व विदर्भातील शेतकर्‍यांवर अन्याय केला असल्याचा आरोप विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी केला आहे.
या मध्ये कापसाचा हमीभाव १00 रुपयाने वाढविला आहे, तर सोयाबीनच्या हमीभावात जेमतेम ३00 रुपये वाढवून २ हजार ५६0 रुपये करण्यात आला. या उलट साखरेच्या हमीभावात मागील तीन वर्षांतच दुपटीने वाढ करत २ हजार ८00 रुपये करण्यात आला आहे. धानाच्या हमीभावात जेमतेम ६0रुपयांची वाढ केली आहे. कृषिमूल्य आयोगाने जाहीर केलेला कापूस व सोयाबीन या पिकांचा हमीभाव अन्यायकारक आहे. सरकारने कापसाचा हमीभाव ६ हजार रुपये प्रति क्विंटल, सोयाबीनचा ४ हजार रुपये प्रतिक्विंटल तर तुरीचा ५ हजार रुपये प्रतिक्विंटल व धानाचा हमीभाव २ हजार रुपये प्रतिक्विंटल करावा, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण यांना पत्रातून केली आहे.
कृषिमूल्य आयोग हमीभाव ठरविताना पिकाला लागणारा खर्च, खत, बियाणे व कीटकनाशकाच्या भावात झालेली वाढ, मागील वर्षीचा बाजारभाव, शेतकर्‍यांच्या घरातील सदस्यांची मजुरी, पीककर्जावरील व्याज याचा प्रमुखपणे विचार करून जिल्हानिहाय माहिती गोळा एका विशिष्ट संगणीकृत सूत्राने हमीभाव ठरवित असते.
याच सूत्राने जर विदर्भाच्या कोरडवाहू क्षेत्रातील कापूस, सोयाबीन, तूर व धानाचे कमीतकमी हमीभाव काढले तर कापसाचे ६ हजार २६0, तुरीचे ५ हजार २४0, सोयाबीनचे ४ हजार २६0 तर धानाचे १ हजार ७४0 रुपये प्रती क्विंटल निघतात. अशा परिस्थितीत कृषिमूल्य आयोगाने अंतिम केलेला हमीभाव शेतकर्‍यांवर अन्याय करणारा असून, खुल्या बाजारात शेतकर्‍यांची लूट करण्यासाठी शासनच व्यापार्‍यांना परवाना देत असल्याचा आरोप तिवारी यांनी केला आहे.
कृषिमूल्य आयोगाने अंतिम हमीभाव शिफारशीसाठी मे महिन्याच्या पहिल्या आठवड्यात पाठविल्यानंतर कृषी प्रधान सचिव डॉ. सुधीर गोयल यांनी हे सर्व हमीभाव योग्य असून, महाराष्ट्र सरकारने शिफारस करावी, असा प्रस्ताव राज्य सरकारला दिला आहे.
अशा परिस्थितीत राजकीय पक्षांनी कापूस, सोयाबीन, तूर व धानाचे हमीभाव निश्‍चित होण्यापूर्वी दूर करावा व कापसाचा हमीभाव ६ हजार रुपये प्रतिक्विंटल, सोयाबीनचा ४ हजार रुपये प्रतिक्विंटल, तुरीचा ५ हजार रुपये प्रतिक्विंटल व धानाचा २ हजार रुपये प्रति क्विंटल हमीभाव लागू करण्यासाठी दबाव टाकावा, अशी मागणी तिवारी यांनी केली आहे.ल्ल

शेतकऱ्यांची फसवणूक-पारस ब्रह्म कंपनीचे बी टी बियाणे बोगस


पारस ब्रह्म कंपनीचे बी टी बियाणे बोगस 
शेतकऱ्यांची फसवणूक
ॅ स्थानिक प्रतिनिधी/ यवतमाळ
जिल्ह्यातील अध्र्याअधिक तालुक्यात पारस ब्रह्म कंपनीचे बियाणे बोगस निघाल्यामुळे ते उगाले नाही. परिणामी शेतकर्‍यांवर दुबार पेरणीचे संकट कोसळले आहे. कृषी विभागाकडे शेकडो तक्रारी करूनही अद्याप कारवाई करण्यात न आल्याने शेतकरी संकटात सापडल्याची माहिती विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी दिली आहे.
जिल्ह्यातील केळापूर, घाटंजी, झरी, मारेगाव, राळेगाव, कळंब, वणी, बाभूळगाव,नेर, महागाव या तालुक्यातील हजारो शेतकर्‍यांनी पेरलेले पारस ब्रह्म कंपनीचे बियाणे बोगस निघाले असून सरासरी फक्त २0 टक्के रोपे अंकुरली आहेत. परिणामी कर्जबाजारी शेतकर्‍यांना लाखो रुपयांचा फटका तर बसलाच , शिवाय यंदा शेती पडित ठेवण्याची पाळी आली आहे.
पारस ब्रह्म या कंपनीविरूद्ध मागील आठवड्यात प्रत्येक तालुक्यात शेकडो तक्रारी कृषी अधिकार्‍यांकडे आल्या आहेत. मात्र एकाही ठिकाणी बियाणे कायद्यांतर्गत पारस ब्रह्म कंपनी विरुद्ध साधी कार्यवाहीही करण्यात आली नाही. अशा परिस्थितीत या कापूस बियाणे कंपनीवर फसवणुकीचा गुन्हा दाखल करून त्यांचा विक्री परवाना तत्काळ रद्द करावा, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने राज्याचे कृषिमंत्री राधाकृष्ण विखे पाटील यांना पाठविलेल्या निवेदनातून केली आहे. एकीकडे राज्याचे कृषिमंत्री राधाकृष्ण विखे पाटील माहिकोवर कार्यवाही झाल्यानंतर बियाणे कंपन्या सरळ झाल्या असून यावर्षी बोगस बियाणे विकण्याची कोणतीही तक्रार नाही असा दावा करीत आहेत. त्याच वेळी यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यातील हजारो शेतकरी पारस ब्रह्म कंपनीचे बि. टी.बियाणे फारच निकृष्ट निघाल्याच्या तक्रारी करीत आहेत. अनेक शेतकर्‍यांनी तर संपूर्ण पेरणीमध्ये एकही झाड वापलेले नाही अशी तक्रार येत आहे. साखरा येथील कापूस उत्पादक शेतकरी गजेंद्र आष्टेकर यांनी त्यांच्या १0 एकरात पारस ब्रम्हा कंपनीचे बि.टी.बियाणे १0 बॅग लावले होते. परंतु एकही झाड वापलेले नाही अशीच परिस्थिती घोडदरा, किन्हाळा, मंगी, सोनुर्ली, सिंगलदिप, सखी, धारणा, पढा, वाई, तेलंगटाकळी, सायखेडा, कोंघारा, हिवरा, चालबर्डी, पालगाव, बोटोणी, बोथ, बहात्तर, वागदा, सोनबर्डी, मारेगाव, वांजरी, झुली, ढोकी, मराठवाकडी, वार्हाकवठा, पिवरडोल, गवारा, जरुर, जरंग, शिवणी, आंबेझरी, कोळझरी, सुर्ला, रोहपाट, नवरगाव, करणवाडी या गावामधील आहे. मात्र तक्रारीनंतरही कृषी अधिकारी किंवा कंपनीचे अधिकारी येतील नंतर कार्यवाही होईल व त्यानंतर बघू पाहू अशी बतावणी करीत आहे. बोगस बियाण्यांची ओरड झाल्यानंतर कंपनीच्या मालकांनी सरकारी अधिकार्‍यांना मोठी रक्कम देऊन प्रकरण दाबण्याचे प्रयत्न सुरू केले आहे. येत्या आठवड्यात जर पासर ब्रह्म कंपनीचे बियाणे विकण्याचा परवाना रद्द झाला नाही तर कृषी विभागाविरुद्ध फौजदारी कारवाईचा इशारा विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी दिला आ