Disappointed with farmer’s Package 4 more Vidarbha killed themselves :farm Widows Blockade National Highway protesting the Relief Package

Disappointed with farmer’s Package 4 more vidarbha killed themselves :farm widows blockade National Highway protesting the relief package

Nagpur-15^th dcmber2011

The shocks of rejection of farmers main demand to give hike to support price in cotton ,soya and paddy has reported four suicides in vidarbha ,identified as

1.Ankush Raut of Wadki in Yavatmal

2Ashok Bhongale of Bhamada in Yavatmal

3.Ramrao Kamble of Gaul in Wardha

4.Shayram Thege of Kesarwada in Bhandara

As per media reports published here taking toll to 722 in year 2011 alone,Kishor Tiwari, president of Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working for cotton farmer rights in a Press release today.

Most of major cotton centre town are completely closed to support ‘Bandh’ called giving by opposition parties and hundreds of farm widows blockade N.H. Tuljaput –Nagpur highway at Arjuna 160 k.m. away from Nagpur .there are violent protest of farmers reported all round vidarbha .farmers of vidarbha region are demanding hike in cotton procurement price to @ Rs.6000/- in order to compensate the losses incurred by them and cash compensation @ Rs.20,000 per hector but state has announced Rs.2000 crore for nearly 90 lakh hector which will peanut hence there is demand to revised the relief package ,tiwari added.

Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), has welcomed initiative taken by Maharashtra DF Govt. to appoint committee to sort out issue of dry land farmers which are victims of Agrarian crisis and needs income base incentive to stop their on going suicides and such steps are must and should taken without delay,Tiwari said

Maharashtra DF Govt. today most waited announcement of giving Rs.2000 crore relief package for 40 lakhs hector crop loss compensation is another eyewash as earlier vidarbha farmer packages of year 2005 and 2006 has dashed hopes of more than 5 million farmers who are facing severe economical crisis due to massive crop failure who are demanding the bailout package and hike in MSP of cotton ,soybean and paddy as this will trigger another spiral of farmer suicides having failed to address the basic issue of price and future sustainability of dying agrarian community ,Kishor Tiwari, president of Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working for cotton farmer rights in a Press release today.

‘It was most expected that after CM indicated earlier that bankrupt financial condition of Maharashtra can’t even give Rs.1000/- per hector to 5 millions farmers against the demand of Rs.10,000/- and the cotton farmers of western vidarbha will get nothing as administration has shown minimum crop failure in this region and now out 70 lakh hector area under cultivation of cotton, soya and paddy whop will get what that god know?. Farmers and all parties including congress NCP that MRP hike in cotton ,soya and paddy and cash compensation in line with sugarcane growers of western Maharashtra but once again Govt. has mad mockery of agrarian crisis and announced such penny relief which is nothing but hoax’Tiwari added.

‘we are demanding long term solution to agrarian crisis not any package which are mostly contractor driven and designed to rehabilitation of the ill managed politician runs cooperative banks. our farmers are working for handful MNCs who are manufacturing Gm seed, fertilizer and pesticides and revival of own agriculture is must which is not being done ’ Tiwari said.

The vidarbha agrarian is result of wrong policies promoted by state and situation of cotton growers in west Vidarbha has worsened when ban of cotton export imposed last year and massive crop failure this year .

"There is a need for state government's intervention in this regard. The government should provide at least Rs 6,000 per quintal. The chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had promised that he would talk with the union government for better support price for the raw cotton. However, nothing has been done in this regard," Tiwari alleged.

Tiwari continued, "The government did not concede our demand of providing food security to desperate, distressed and marginal farmers even. The government needs to behave sensibly and responsibly to address farmers' woes and prevent the prevailing spate of suicide in the killing fields of Vidarbha." If the cotton growers do not get better price this season, the situation will assume drastic proportions, he cautioned.

VJAS has urged Govt. of India to send team of expert to assess the Bt. Cotton crop damage in Maharashtra and west vidarbha in particular where cotton farmers are killing themselves .VJAS has been demanding hike in cotton MSP Rs.6000/- per quintal and relief package to dying cotton farmers of region, Tiwari added.

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