Maharashtra CM disappoints Dying Vidarbha Farmers and Farm Widows –VJAS

Maharashtra CM disappoints Dying Vidarbha Farmers and Farm Widows –VJAS

Nagpur -5^th March 2011

Median visit of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan to Yavatmal(vidarbha)epicenter of Indian farmers suicides has disappointed as he failed to announce to any relief to dying vidarbha cotton farmers and 10.000 vidarbha farm widows and faily members while addressing the public meeting in Yavatmal in the after who earlier reviewed the vidarbha agrarian crisis with the administration, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS )informed in press release today

“In fact when Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan was addressing the public ,villagers of Pahapal were performing rituals of cotton farmer Pawan Dipak Khandare who committed suicide yesterday due to debt and this is the fifth farm suicide during the CM vidarbha tour in last 72 hours as 1.Raju Take of Daryapur in Aamaravati,2.Dipak Mankar of khirada in Amaravati,3.Arjun Shelake of Tigha in Buldhana and 4.Mohan Shinde of Sawali in Chandrapur Suicides were reported taking toll to 87 in year 2011”Tiwari informed.

“It was expected that in first visit to dying field of vidarbha Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan wull provide healing touch to 3 million cotton farmer but nothing has been done by him .he sould have given food security, health security and family pension to the families of farmers who committed suicides n last decade and farm widows are agitating for the same. this is very unfortunate” Tiwari said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan has completely salient on the going atrocities of MSDL by restarting the Agir. Discussion drive in last two days and disconnected more 1100 Agri. connections of farmers defaulting the dues who have opted for Rabbi crop as Govt. of Maharashtra policy and orders ,most of farmers are from suicide effected west vidarbha as this was not enough the land development bank has started auctioning tractors of Yavatmal farmers who have been listed as ‘willful default’ even they petition in pending in Nagpur bench of Mumbai High court .These suicides are being triggered by state Govt. as they have restarted forcible recovery drive of bankers debt and started forcible recovery of last five years agriculture pump bills after disconnecting the power supply is the main cause of these suicides, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS )informed in press release today

‘In Yavatmal district alone reported more than 1000 farm suicides in since June 2005 where as vidarbha reported 10,000 farm suicides in that period but while the review of vidarbha crisis Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan is not discussing agrarian crisis with official where as he has not visited single farm family in which bread earner has committed suicide recently ,this is very unfortunate .we urge him to visit the dying farm widows and staving tribal of west vidarbha ’ Kishore Tiwari added.

‘This year for kharif season 2010-11 cotton production as area under cultivation of Bt.cotton is above 110 lakhs hector and it was estimated and reported by Indian Council Agri. Research(ICAR-CICR) the yield of 375 lakh bales but in reality the cotton crop is lowest in the India and cotton growers of vidarbha are in deep trouble as excessive and record rain and massive floods in cotton cultivating areas which has damaged most of standing Bt.cotton crop and excessive rain has jumped the cultivation cost to double, but expected yield has been reduce to 50% that has disturbed the cotton economy at large ’Kishor Tiwari of VJAS added.

‘VJAS urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Prathiraj Chavan to review the complete collapse of Nationa Rural Health Mission (NRHM) ,Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Programme(MGNREGA),massive corruption and malfunction in Integrated Tribal Development Programmer(ITDP)and Integrated Child development Scheme(ICDS )’Tiwari addd.