Three distress vidarbha farmer commits suicides reported in a day – Prime Minister urged to intervene to solve cotton farmer’s crisis

Three distress vidarbha farmer commits suicides reported in a day – Prime Minister urged to intervene to solve cotton farmer’s crisis

Nagpur- Dated 21^st July 2011

The delayed erratic rain and frequent re-sowing, economic losses due to cotton price rescission and NBARD action to Stall the Agri. Credit to under section 11 to district coop banks (DCB) through ill-fated and bankrupt MS co-op Bank has resulted in three more distressed debt-trapped cotton farmers suicides as per media reports are identified as

1.Kisan Mane of Village Chatari in Yavatmal

2.Pushottam Galaskar of Chavsala in Amaravati

3.Tukaram Ingale of Alegoan in Akola , earlier in this week 4 four more farmers

suicides were reported v.i.z.

4.Anil Tandilkar of village Ukapati in Amaravatit

5.Subhash Kasdekar of village Ranamalur in Amaravatit

6.Ramesh Jumade of Achalpur in Amaravati

7.Anandrao Khande of viallge Tawashi In Bhandara

taking official toll 443 in year 2011 alone, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press release today .

‘It was July 2006 when indian prime minister visited agrarian crisis prone western vidarbha and announced special relief package of Rs.3750 crore in which the interest waiver of Rs.1080 crore and gave extended Agri. Credit of Rs.2500 crore promising to make it double in next three years but all promises were kept on paper and bankers reduced Agri. Credit for short crop loan has been further reduced to 50% forcing Indian to announce complete loan waiver of Rs.71,000 crore in march 2008 but vidarbha farmers were intentionally kept out this loan waiver and farmers suicides in the cotton cultivating region till continued as non-professional attitude and non-cooperation of bankers the complete exercise of loan waiver has been failed and crop loan amount in last five year reduced to 50% whereas cultivation cost has increased in multifold thanks to skyrocketing prices of Bt.Cotton Seed ,Fertilizer and pesticides and labor ” Tiwari said

As per district administration reports now it’s official crop loan disbursement is less than 50% in comparison to last year disbursement .there is huge cry in vidarbha for fresh crop loan to all illegible farmers but bankers are facing liquidity crunch due to insufficient fund sanctioned by apex bank NABARD even after Dr.Sudhir Goyal promised us as credit flow in Rs.510 crore in first week of July and another installment of Rs.500 crore since 12th July but nothing has happened and crop loan is till standstill due technical issues after RBI twisted the irregularities and scam of existing directors of MSC Bank .vidarbha farmers suffering due default of western Maharashtra sugar lobby this is most unfortunate hence we demand intervention of central Govt. arrange crop loan disbursement to dying vidarbha farmers” Tiwari added.

“We have urged Indian prime minister to revist the vidarbha and look at the integrated agrarian problems of cotton grower which is related to credit, minimum support price(MSP) and stringent export restrictions which is accumulating the distress sand despair resulting in farmers suicides ” Tiwari added.

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