Vidarbha farmers flay Maharashtra Agra Industrial Policy-2010 Draft-Hitavada

Nagpur-20th July,2010

With nothing substantial for Vidarbha, the proposed Agro Industrial Policy 2010 , drafted by Maharashtra, is being criticized from experts and activists in the region.

Maharashtra Government has drafted the Agro Industrial Policy 2010 as per the recommendation of the Maharashtra Industrial Infrastructure and Investment Policy 2006. Once implemented, it is likely to create more off farm jobs and also bring greater value addition and incomes for the rural population. The draft reads that hit aims at value addition from agricultural produce by induction of modern technology into food processing. Minimization of wastage across the food processing chain and promotion of investment in various related fields by increasing the participation of farmers in food processing and related sectors, creating new employment opportunities, and increasing incomes, particularly of the rural population.

The policy recommendation including formation of agri-clustures based on production strengths of different regions. A close study of the provision reveals that 67 clusters have been proposed of which will have only 10 clusters. End-to-end integrated projects would be promoted in these clusters with financial assistance from World Bank. ADB and International Fund for Agricultural Development. The total investment for these projects would be Rs. 2,000 crores.

However, when oranges are cultivated mainly in Amravati and Nagpur districts , the policy has recommended to form orange cluster in Yavatmal district that mainly produces Tur . Worst part of it, Yavatmal or even its adjoining districts have not been included in the list where Tur clusters have been proposed.

Similarly, even though Amla fruit is no where in the top produced fruits in Akola and Buldhana, the Policy proposes to form Amla fruit clusters in the two districts.

Similarly, the draft policy also urges to form ‘large number’ of Mega-Food Parks in the state. However, no specific mention of provision has been made for the farmers –suicide struck Vidarbha region.

The draft also talks of forming micro-level clusters across the state. It may be mentioned that those already started in the state are situated in Sindhudurga, Ratnagiri, Nashik and Sangli, all in western Maharashtra. The State Government has recently decided to support the MSE-CDP clusters in backward areas of Maharashtra to the extent of 10 percent of the project cost, in addition of central funding.

However, the MSE-CDP is intended for comparatively larger projects with the cost limit of Rs. 25 crore, with a larger no of existing units, and is not restricted to agro-industries. The scale of micro agro clusters may be very small compared to clusters under the MSE-CDP, with likely project cost for common infrastructure between Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore. The micro clusters will not be identified so as to focus on the specific needs of similar agro industries. “The draft policy will only benefit western Maharashtra region that has good irrigation facilities and not Vidarbha. In fact, the Policy has no major proposal for the region”, pointed out President of VJAS Kishor Tiwari.

He alleged that the policy has been drafted by some foreign multi-national company that favors well-off regions. “ If implemented in its present form, the policy will add up to the number of farmer suicides in Vidarbha”.

“Entering policy focuses on marketing agricultural produce and market regulation. It will only benefit the foreign MNCs having interest in this sector. It will not benefit the cotton and soyabean cultivating Vidarbha Region”.

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‘Bank’ and ‘Bt.Cotton’ are forcing vidarbha farmers to kill themselves

‘Bank’ and ‘Bt.Cotton’ are forcing vidarbha farmers to kill themselves : VJAS alleges after recent cotton farmers suicides .

Nagpur- July 12, 2010

‘first Bt.cotton sowing failed due to delayed rain then second seed sowing failed due poor quality of Bt.cotton seed and till bank crop loan is till awaited even after my father has committed suicide on 10^th July 2010’ Vijay son of Nilkanth Mandavkar of village ladki in ralegoan taluka of worst hit yavtmal district .

Same day another tribal farmer Vasanta Atram of village Botoni in Maregoan taluka committed suicide due to failure of Bank’ and ‘BT. Cotton’, Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) President Kishor Tiwari who visited Ladki and Botoni villages today alleged in press note .

“My father Nilkanth Mandavkar brought Niziveedu company Mallika-Bt-NCS-207-Bt. Bolgard-II which failed then he did sowing of Vibha seed company’s DYNA-Bollgrad-II seed which also failed brining despair and distress as he purchased the seeds from seed dealer of wadki who is also money lender in credit hoping to get crop loan from District Cooperative Bank but when bankers refused him to give fresh crop loan he was forced to kill himself by consuming pesticide’ his son informed us when we visited ,Tiwari added.

‘Last year due to drought in the region there was crop failure and we did daughter’s marriage in May too by taking hand loan from all relatives ,hoping to get bank loan to return it, sudden Bt. Cotton seed failure twice has disturbed the financial management of the house that main reason of the distress’ his wife told us.

‘if Bt.cotton seed would not have failed and banker would have given the requisite legitimate crop loan as per directives of NABARD,Nilkanth Mandavkar would not have killed himself ’ Tiwari alleged.

“last year 20,000 villages in vidarbha are officially declared ‘drought hit ‘ but administration failed to give any relief to these cotton farmers of suicide prone region of Maharashtra more hostile attitude of bankers even after the RBI orders failed to give fresh credit to these dying farmers forcing them in same private money lender ‘d debt trap .vidarbha agrarian has further deepen and suicide of Nilkanth Mandavkar and Vasanta Atram are very much indicative of that and we urged administration to take these suicides very seriously in order to stop restarting suicide spiral of innocent cotton farmers of vidarbha region ”Tiwari added.

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Mass Prayer Meeting on 10 July for safe release of kidnapped Maharashtra forest official Vilas Bardekar

Mass Prayer Meeting on 10 July for safe release of kidnapped Maharashtra forest official Vilas Bardekar

NAGPUR- 10^TH JULY,2010
‎Tthe mass prayer meeting was arranged today on 10^th july to appeal the BODO militants to release innocent of maharashtra forest official environmentalist Dr.Vilas Bardekar as he is national assets in the field of ecology and working in the field of research on rare species of butterflies found in the asia on the 60th day of kidnapping by suspected BODO militants in West Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh,having .

‘Having lost all hopes of his release due to very poor follow up Govt. at centre and state level ,we have arranged this mass prayer meet to draw the attention of administration and society ’, kishor Tiwari, president, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti said in the meeting which was attended by farmers widows and farmers too.

‘we wrote to hon’ble Indian Prez.Pratibhatai Patil because of his close association with vidarbha then we were given to understand that he is being release on 15^th June then there were news about the negotiations are on and forest minister of maharashtra Patangrao Kadam informed that Berdekar is safe and maharashtra Govt. has appointed nodal officer to monitor situation a month ago since then there is follow up of this very serious issue and now whereabouts and safety of his life is question mark hence we praying to god and militant to save kidnapped forest official’ Tiwari added.

Vilas Bardekar, social forestry officer from Pune was kidnapped by suspected BODO militants on May 12 in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Earlier Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has urged President Pratibha Patil to take up the issue of release of a Maharashtra forest officer kidnapped in Arunachal Pradesh on May 12, "We urge Pratibha 'tai' to take up the issue with the central government and the government of Arunachal Pradesh so that the release of abducted forest officer Vilas Bardekar can be expedited," VJAS president Kishor Tiwari said..

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60TH Days on, No Trace of kidnapped Maharashtra forest official Vilas Bardekar: Mass Prayer Meeting on 10 July for safe release

60^TH Days on, No Trace of kidnapped Maharashtra forest official Vilas Bardekar: Mass Prayer Meeting on 10 July for safe release

NAGPUR- 9^TH JULY,2010

‎60 th day of kidnapping of maharashtra forest official Vilas Bardekar of vidarbha by suspected BODO militants in West Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh,having lost the all hope now hundreds of tribal,farmers and environmental activist have arranged the mass peayer meeting on 10^th july to appeal the BODO militants to release innocent environmentalist Dr.Vilas Bardekar as he is national assets in the field of ecology and working in the field of research on rare species of butterflies found in the asia.

‘Having lost all hopes of his release due to very poor follow up Govt. at centre and state level ,we have arranged this mass prayer meet to draw the attention of administration and society ’, kishor Tiwari, president, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti informed in press release today.

‘we wrote to hon’ble Indian Prez.Pratibhatai Patil because of his close association with vidarbha then we were given to understand that he is being release on 15^th June then there were news about the negotiations are on and forest minister of Maharashtra Patangrao Kadam informed that Berdekar is safe and Maharashtra Govt. has appointed nodal officer to monitor situation a month ago since then there is follow up of this very serious issue and now whereabouts and safety of his life is question mark hence we praying to god and militant to save kidnapped forest official’ Tiwari added.

Vilas Bardekar, social forestry officer from Pune was kidnapped by suspected BODO militants on May 12 in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Earlier Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has urged President Pratibha Patil to take up the issue of release of a Maharashtra forest officer kidnapped in Arunachal Pradesh on May 12, "We urge Pratibha 'tai' to take up the issue with the central government and the government of Arunachal Pradesh so that the release of abducted forest officer Vilas Bardekar can be expedited," VJAS president Kishor Tiwari said..

VJAS urged PM to relieve over Burdon Sharad Pawar

VJAS urged PM to relieve over Burdon Sharad Pawar

Nagpur-6^th July 2010

‘Sharad Pawar is the minister who is directly responsible for the mass genocide of more than 8000 vidarbha cotton farmers since june 2005 and food crisis in country has realized after 7 years of office that he is over burden, having ruined the rural economy and brought rural despair distress in rural India , himself asked for reliving from the ministry of agriculture and food supply that’s golden opportunity to the prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for appointing full time Agriculture and Food Supply Minister’ Kishor Tiwati Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS)urged PM to relive him in letter today.

‘we have been demanding the ouster of Sharad Pawar from Agriculture Ministry as he has played very key role in Bt.cotton commercial trials permission in Maharashtra in June 2005 which is main cause agrarian distress and farm debt trap in west vidarbha region resulting more than 8000 cotton farmers suicides as he is de-facto owner of Monsanto,USA base MNC producing Bt.cotton seed ,

Sharad Pawar himself toured in west vidarbha and promoted this killer seed more over he forced state owned seed corporation ‘Mahabeej’ to market this Bt. Cotton seed which was failed in 2005 that forced Govt. at the state level and the center to provide relief packages worth Rs.5000 crore in 2005 and 2006 .

Sharad Pawar as BCCI chief and then IPL main convener was so occupied that he could not visit single house of farmers who has committed suicide more over he allowed the cotton farmers of vidarbha to die hence we urge PM to sack him urgently who is killer of cotton farmers of vidarbha from post Agriculture Minister’ Tiwari said in a letter to PM when he news came that Sharad Pawar himself told to PM that he is over Burdon wants get relieved it as he wants to give more time in ICC and commodity exchange where he has been closely associated .

“when Sharad Pawar took the charge of PDS ministry buffer food grain stock in country was more than required and some of stock was lost quality due to rain and this bad quality wheat was allowed to off- loaded but the sale of good quality food grain in the country in 2005 -2006 has been biggest ever scam ih which Sharad Pawar’s associates gained more than Rs.10,000 crore but this PDS ministry massive corruption in off loading the rotten food grain stock has caused historic food crisis in the India and it is till continue hence removal of Sharad Pawar as PDS minister is must’ Tiwari added.

Sharad Pawar is richest minister in country as per his official affidavit to election commission and earned huge profit in recently held IPL,he and his party has lost it’s rural mass base in west Maharashtra and now it’s time for UPA to part with him in order to save the country from clutches MNCs and market forces other wise thousands farmers and poor will have to kill themselves ,VJAS added in press release.

‘Bharat bandh’ paralysed ‘central India’:Aam Adami is on the road -‘UPA’ urged to rollback form fuel price hike

‘Bharat bandh’ paralysed ‘central India’:Aam Adami is on the road -‘UPA’ urged to rollback form fuel price hike

Nagpur-5^th July -10 a.m. reports of ‘Bharat Bandh’

First in the history of UPA regime of power common man is protesting the central Govt. decision to hike price of fuel and on going uncontrolled inflammation as propel joined the agitation in massive scale has paralysedt life in central India , according to early reports received here ,Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti (VJAS) president Kishor Tiwari informed in press release

All Schools, colleges, markets and industries are closed and public transport has come to a standstill or maintaining just a skeletal service with police protection in vidarbha .

The shutdown is complete in all districts of vidarbha. Flights coming from kolkatta have been cancelled and other filths are delayed at Nagpur airport. Trucks are off roads on national highway N.H. 6 and 7 which is connecting Mumbai-kolkatta and kanyakumari-varnasi are facing road blockade at various places in vidarbha . Shiv Sena-BJP Protesters have stopped several trains at Amravati , Kayar ,Wani,Chandrapur where farmers are blocking road . Life has been affected in Congress-ruled Maharashtra states as opposition parties have moved in to enforce the bandh. VJAS urged Shiva Sena-MNS members to stop damaging public property as police is provoking the activist .Maharashtra police should understand the strong sentiments of common people and should informed the received enthusiastic response being received to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan .

“All schools, colleges, a majority of government offices and over lakh commercial and business establishments in entire Vidarbha have taken part in the national wide shutdown,” said Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) chief Kishor Tiwari.

Heavy security arrangements have been made in the major towns of the Vidarbha region, which consists of Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gondiya, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldana, Akola and Washim.Agitation has been reported from across the region. In another incident, a group of Yavatmal farm widows squatted outside the agriculture office demanding for food security and roll back in recent price ,vidarbha farm widows association (WFWA) have declared support to nationwide.

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VJAS supports Bharat Bandh: Urged People to avoid traveling by Road and Rail on 5th July.

Nagpur, 2^nd July 2010

Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) activist group working for 8 million cotton farmers and tribal of vidarbha region ,has come out in full support of the 24-hour nationwide shutdown (Bharat Bandh) called by India’s main Opposition parties on July 5 to protest price rise and on going very high inflation .

VJAS president Kishor Tiwari in a press release urged all people of vidarbha to avoid traveling by roan and rail as there by complete national highway blockade on National Highway No.6 Kolkatta –Muibai And National Highway No.7 Kanyakumari-Varanasi as both are passing through vidarbha and South-North East-West railying are passing through more than around 500 k.m. span which will blockade by the different places by activist group and political parties workers hence this appeal to all commuters.

“VJAS have been already fighting against these neo-liberal policies of UPA Govt. resulting being cotton farmers suicides, tribal malnutrition, price rise, unemployment, agrarian crisis. we supports the Bharat Bandh called by all apposition parties as if price rise was not enough, the working and middle classes received yet another blow from the Congress-led UPA government with the recent hike in fuel prices. This shutdown is the only way out to bring the insensitive government back to its senses,” Kishor Tiwari added.

“In order to protest against this unjustified hike in petroleum prices and the total ineptitude of UPA Government to address this problem, BJP President Nitin Gadkari has given a call for a Bharat Bandh on 5th July and supported by ShivSena ,third front and MNS and this will make history Meanwhile as all parties are united against wrong policies and malfunctioning UPA Govt.”Tiwari said.

“Vidarbha is facing drought, farmers are till committing suicides and on top of the food inflation at nearly 17 per cent and the general inflation rate in double digits, the Congress-led government has callously raised the fuel prices making the burden on the dying people which is unbearable. This is only way for the people is to launch a ‘powerful collective protest’ to compel the government to heed their voice to withdraw the hikes. Hence we are joining the Bharat Bandh on 5th July and we will make 100% successful”VJAS release added.