Six vidarbha farmers suicides reportd in last 72 hours : 3 lakh Agri. Connection snapped by MSEDCL adding fuel to vidarbha crisis

Six vidarbha farmers suicides reportd in last 72 hours : 3 lakh Agri. Connection snapped by MSEDCL adding fuel to vidarbha crisis

NAGPUR: DECEMBER 1st 2011

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited ( MSEDCL) has started not only power disconnection of Agri. Culture connection now they have removed hundreds of power transformers and DPs and feeders so that three phase power connection to total block is disconnected ,this recovery drive ordered by Maharashtra Dy-chief minister Ajitdada Pawar has added fuel in to on going distress and despair in vidarbha agrarian crisis which has reported another six farmers suicides in last 72 hours taking toll 704 in the year 2011, Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press note today.

Ill fated debt trapped vidarbha farmers who killed themselves and surfaced in he media in last three days are

1.Rajendra Pawar of Ambhora in Buldhana

2.Dutta Rathode of Sakhara in Yavatmal

Earlier reported yesterday-

3.Mahadev Sarode of Village in Amaravati

4.Dhyaneshawar Rajmere of Village Talegoan in Yavatmal

5.Tulsiram Manger of village Heti in Gadchiroli

6.Eknath Mundaphale of village Khandala in Nagpur

‘Arada (Rajanna-palli) Taluka Sironcha in Gadchiroli district MSEDCL forcefully removed power transformer yesterday disconnecting almost more than 10,000 Agri.Power connection as massive drive of recovery of all pending without giving a notice ,here was some hope for farmer to get some cotton with help of little water left but that has been snapped which is much more shocking ’ Shivshankar Adgelwar (CELL-09421930747) farm activist from Gadchiroli informed today

‘In one worst farm suicide hit district more than 60,000 farmers are effected due to this disconnection drive .my own village Hiwara and adjoining Akoli,Boregoan Belori,Chalbardi,Wanjari and Kodori are villages where MSEDCLofficials have removed transformer and DPs so that power is not restored locally. those MSEDCL staff are having sympathy to dying farmers are being suspended as last week MSEDCL suspended eight engineers from service with effect from November 24 on charges of non-performance and poor recovery. These engineers include two each from Yavatmal and Amravati while the remaining four are from Washim district under the chief engineer of Akola region on the strict order of Power Minister Ajitdada Pawar and The names of engineers under suspension in Yavatmal district are Afsar Khan (junior engineer attached to Pusad division) and Sharad Wankhede (deputy engineer, urban division, Yavatmal). ,This will add fuel and more debt trapped cotton farmers will kill themselves ’ Suresh Bolenwar (cell-7588189402)farm activist from Hiwara added.

‘The ground situation is another farm suicide affected district wardha is not here also around 40,000 Agri. Power connections are snapped and farmers are being forced to pay exaggerated bills as MSEDCL officials have removed the power supply transformers in block wise in Deoli,Wardha ,Pulgoan and Sumudrapur area,having removed power feeders even non-defaulter farmers are badly affected ,we have taken protest rally to MSEDCL Wardha Office but officers are helpless blaming Power Minister for crisis ‘another farm activist Prashant Ingale((09922336918) informed wardha.

Atrocities of Ajitdada Pawar was not enough, his uncle Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has fuel to the crisis by ruling out any help from the Centre and has put the onus on the state government by saying that there are seven other cotton-producing states. They have all accepted the Minimum Support Price (MSP) worked out by the Centre for cotton. If the state wants to give relief to cotton farmers they should accept the MSP. This statement of Sahrad Pawar has triggered slash in cotton price as cotton which was getting Rs.4400/- has come down to Rs.3800/- in last few days.

“This is very unfortunate that union agriculture minister is from Maharashtra and he knows the ground reality that 90% area under cotton and soya is rain fed and cost of cultivation for Bt cotton is almost three times and yield is only 25% in comparison to cotton farmers in state where irrigation facility is more hence bailout package for Maharashtra cotton farmers is must which is denied allowing more farmers to die’ Tiwari added.we have been demanding the vidarbha agrarian crisis should tackled on war footing and issue MSP and cash compensation to huge crop failure should be announced with outing more farmers to kill themselves ” Tiwari urged.