Tuesday, July 31, 2012

PM Irrigation Package Money in ADARSHA


BJP MP  Ajay Sancheti’s pumped PM  Irrigation Package Money in ADARSHA Scam
Nagpur -31ST July , 2012
The report published national daily that Of the 103 flats in Adarsh society, the San Finance Corporation with Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti (BJP) as a partner, has financed nearly one-tenth of the flat buyers. Abhay Sancheti, a partner of the firm registered in Nagpur, in a recent submission to the judicial panel looking into Adarsh's irregularities, said it has "granted loans to 10 individuals" who were allotted flats in Adarsh has confirmed that  Rs.113 fund crore BJP MP Ajay Sancheti has managed to siphoned out more than fund floating all rules has been used to construct most controversial Building ‘Adarsha’  and this is money given as relief package  has been used to BENAMI properties and now  BJP Nitin Gadkari to come clean on this issue of involvement of BJP MP and National Executive  Ajay Sancheti as his party wants to come to power in 2014 fighting out corruption of UPA Govt. informed by  Kishor Tiwari of vidarbha 3 million dying coton farmers'  advocacy group Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS.) informed today.

Aa per details published by Times of India and
I QUOTE
MUMBAI: Of the 103 flats in Adarsh society, the San Finance Corporation with Rajya Sabha member Ajay Sancheti (BJP) as a partner, has financed nearly one-tenth of the flat buyers. Abhay Sancheti, a partner of the firm registered in Nagpur, in a recent submission to the judicial panel looking into Adarsh's irregularities, said it has "granted loans to 10 individuals" who were allotted flats in Adarsh.

Sancheti said on June 30, 2012, that the firm has taken steps to secure its loan and entered into agreements with borrowers, and on July 10, 2010, had also informed the housing society of its loans and directed it not to initiate the sale of these flats without clearance from SFC.

A borrower, Permanand K Hinduja, a retired defence estates officer, who took the loan in 2004 and got possession of the flat in October 2010, in his deposition on June 18, 2012, was shown the letter by senior counsel for the commission Dipan Merchant. The letter, which Hinduja claimed to be seeing for the first time, conveyed SFC's interest in the flats. It said, "We wish to inform you that as per terms of the finance agreed between us, in the event of inability to repay us the amount advanced by us, the flat allotted to him shall be transferred to us, as and when transferable, in lieu of the advance unpaid."

Hinduja said the interest amount was 15% per annum and amounted to Rs 21,782, which he had not paid. He said he had not issued cheques towards loan repayment to SFC since October 2010, and claimed that no demands were made of him either. He also admitted that in his income-tax returns he "did not show the Adarsh flat allotted to me".

Sancheti said in his affidavit that a borrower, Amarsingh Waghmare, has repaid the loan and "others have shown an intention to repay". He said the loan beneficiaries have said that "after getting possession of the flats, the loan would be repaid".

He said the firm is in the financing business for decades and the "loans/advances are based on past relationship and comfort level of its partners". Thus, he said, "no resolutions are legally required for granting loans. The loans were sanctioned directly by the erstwhile senior partner, Shaktikumar Sancheti, on the recommendations of society officials".

The loans were given in phases by cheques to applicants or directly to Adarsh housing society after seeing allotment letters and "various sanctions received from various authorities,'' Sancheti said. All transactions, he said, have been assessed by the income tax department too.
The Adarsh commission comprising former Bombay high court Justice J A Patil and member P Subrahmanyam is going into the issue of valid memberships. One of the terms of reference was whether any person who was not eligible to become a society member was approved to be made a member, and if so, who?
The commission, mandated to present its findings on 12 terms of reference, has already submitted a final report on ownership and reservation of land.

UNQUOTE

It is also reported that   The CBI probe into the Adarsh Housing Society scam has reportedly found 24 cases of benami ownership. These include the BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP from Nagpur, Ajay Sancheti, Pune-based builder Jayant Shah and two promoters of Adarsh — R C Thakur and Kanhaiyalal Gidwani — CBI sources told The Indian Express. Ajay Sancheti, a Nagpur-based businessman, is the joint managing director of SMS Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. He is a BJP leader and is known to be close to party president Nitin Gadkari. CBI sources said Sancheti’s company driver Sudhakar Madke, who earned a monthly salary of Rs 8,600, is one of the owners of a flat in Adarsh and  has paid Rs 60 lakh for the plush property.CBI is also probing if Sancheti has any further involvement in the case,” as per report which is much more shocking as Vidarbha irrigation is pointing toward the same person and there is  anguish over mega  loot and fraud and abuse of political clout by a handful of people when farmers were hanging themselves or poisoning themselves to death under a terrible burden of debt. This is expose association BJP national president with fraudulent people who cared a damn for the farmers’ welfare and for the betterment of agriculture and emptied the State Exchequer by countless thousands of crores of rupees by selfish machinations and manipulations even as the farmers cried in silence as their fields went without a drop of water for long stretches of time hence we demand BJP national leadership should clean up party,Tiwari added.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Big jump in soyabean area in Vidarbha -TIMES OF INDIA


 
Printed from

Big jump in soyabean area in Vidarbha

** Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti who had been advocating food crops instead of cash ones. Pulses like moong and urad help boost soil fertility while jowar, bajra provide food security to farmers. But ignoring all this, cash crops are still preferred," Tiwari lamented.**

NAGPUR: Amid reports of drought-like situation prevailing in 102 of the 355 talukas in Maharashtra with even sowing not taken up for kharif crops, Vidarbha region is faring better. Good rains in last one week have brought cheer to farmers. In Amravati division, of the 32 lakh hectares of cultivable land sowing was completed in 98% of the area. In Nagpur division, it has just crossed 70% mark, official sources said on Friday.
Surprisingly, soyabean cultivation has taken a big jump in western Vidarbha's districts of Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Washim and Buldhana - from last year's 7.93 lakh hectares to 12.9 lakh hectares this year. However, according to farm activists, shrinking area of food crops like jowar and bajra and also pulses like moong and urad is a cause of concern.
Amravati divisional joint director of agriculture Ashok Lokhande confirmed that soya crop area had gone up substantially this season. "This could be mainly because of the delayed rains. Soya crop is shorter duration of around 100 days. While cotton takes over 150 days for harvest. Early returns and high price of around Rs4000 a quintal that soya now commands could have gone in its favour for farmers who normally keep shuffling between the region's two main crops.
"Overall kharif situation is very good in Amravati division which has received its average rainfall in June as well as July," said Lokhande. In fact, heavy rains early this year, according to preliminary reports, caused damage to crop in 19,000 hectares and eroded soil in 20,746 hectares," said the senior officer. He also noted that while area under tur dal was constant at 3.80 lakh hectares, that under urad and moong had shrunk. More remarkable was shrinkage in jowar area from 4 lakh to 2 lakh hectares this time and that of bajra from 9700 hectares to a mere 2500.
"This mass shifting to soya driven by commodity exchange could cause problems later as the commodity price is sure to drop to around Rs2000 at harvest time three months from now," said Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti who had been advocating food crops instead of cash ones. Pulses like moong and urad help boost soil fertility while jowar, bajra provide food security to farmers. But ignoring all this, cash crops are still preferred," Tiwari lamented.
In Nagpur division, of the 18 lakh hectares total cultivable land, sowing has been completed on 12.25 lakh hectares. Here, there is an increase in cotton area, up from expected 2.11 lakh hectares to 4.3 lakh hectares. Soya has been sowed on 5.10 lakh hectares compared to 6.28 lakh hectares last year. Tur has been sowed in 1.52 lakh, slight increase from last time. More rains are needed for paddy transplantation, said an official.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Maharashtra farmers urged PM to sack Sharad Pawar


Maharashtra cotton farmers urged PM to sack Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar

Nagpur-24th July 2012
The 3 million vidarbha cotton farmers who are reeling under agrarian crisis and drought has reacted very strongly on recent on going boycott of  Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar to the very important meeting with Agriculture secretary on alert over a deficient monsoon, directing ministries to help states facing drought-like situations by taking urgent steps to put  contingency plans to distribute seeds, augment fodder and power and deal with drinking water shortages when Indian  Prime minister Manmohan Singh went ahead asking agriculture secretary to gear up plans to fight the impending drought situation particularly in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Karnataka, if the monsoon does not revive, this is height of   blackmailing the coalition partner when country need  functional Agriculture Minister and part-time one hence we urge PM to replace Sharad Pawar with sensitive and responsible  fulltime dedicated non-corrupt to handle delayed rain and damage to crops , Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, President, Kishor Tiwari informed in a press release today.

‘In fact India's Agri. Minister and NCP Supreme Sharad Pawar is totally responsible for on going cotton growers suicides in cotton belt of vidarbha since June 2005 and failure of all relief packages to stop on going farmers as money given to for irrigation project has been siphoned out by NCP Ministers and his party men direct involvement and action initiated by Maharashtra chief minister is reason of on going blackmail pressure tactics but his larger role in mass genocide of more than 10,000 cotton farmers in granting mass commercial production permission to Genetic Modified Bt. Cotton of USA base company Monsanto in vidarbha .when farmers were committing suicides since 2005 most of time India's Agri. Minister and NCP Supreme Sharad Pawar was in cricket and he never visited a single household even when PM visited vidarbha hence his immediate removal will give certain relief dying vidrabha cotton farmers’ Tiwari added. 

VJAS has claimed that these farmers’ suicides are innocent victims of Govt. Policies from which NCP Supreme Sharad Pawar is responsible as his NCP Party Ministers are involved in all mega scams in Maharashtra which are surfaced and are in focus today hence his recent pressure tactics has exposed him but PM and Congress should not concede hostile demands and it’s right to get rid of killers of innocent vidarbha farmers’, Tiwari added.
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Monday, July 23, 2012

As Prez. Pratibhatai Patil Disappointed Thousands Vidarbha Farm Widows


As Prez. Pratibhatai  Patil  Disappointed Thousands Vidarbha Farm Widows

Nagpur -23rd July 2012

Most veteran Congress leader Pratibhatai  Patil who is from Maharashtra and is spending  her and her family members  political career  from worst agrarian crisis hit and known as farmers suicide capital vidarbha when became the first woman President of India ,it was expected that healing touch will be given starving thousands of farm widows and kids of the farmers who committed suicides in last decade but  unfortunately, in her five-year term that healing touch was missing as before stepping down from office Dr.APJ Kalam visited Yavatmal (vidarbha) in July 2007 and has special meeting with vidarbha farm widows and wrote series of letter to Govt. for attending the issues raised by from widows but next year December 2008 visited same place Yavatmal (vidarbha) but failed to give 5 minutes time dying vidarbha farm widows but even after five years now she is stepping down today but thousands of vidarbha farm widows  who are demanding ‘Right to live ’ since 2001 are disappointment as our  Pratibhatai  Patil fails to give justice to dying farming community of her homeland vidarbha, Aparna Malikar (09689184642) (farm widows appeared in KBC last year) .secretary vidarbha farm widows association (WFWA) informed in press release today .

‘When I wrote regarding unjust and atrocities done to me by my in-laws ,till date I have not received acknowledgement my letter .we have been demanding basic rights of food security ,land ownership ,education to our daughter and family pensions to starving thousands of farm widows but all pending with state Govt., then we thought  Pratibhatai  Patil will take the issue but nothing happened in last five years hence we are deeply hurt and disappointed ’Malikar added.

‘‘we supported as prez but unfortunately Pratibhatai  Patil was always locked in one or another controversies and it was not case she has not visited Maharashtra in last five years in fact though there is no rule, it has been convention that a President visits the home state not more than six times a year, she has visited double trips as per convention but not to look in to the problem of people but to live with grand children in Pune ,we hope now she will take up issue of thousands of Vidrabha Farm Widows  to give healing touch to millions of distressed agrarian community of her homeland Vidarbha ”Kishor Tiwari Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti farmers activist group working for welfare of farm widows urged retiring  Indian prez. today.
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Friday, July 20, 2012

Truant monsoon claims three more vidarbha farmers’ suicides in 48 hrs

Truant monsoon claims three more vidarbha farmers’ suicides in 48 hrs
Nagpur-21st July 2012
The erratic progress of the monsoon and failure second  times sowing of rain sensitive Bt.cotton seed has claimed three distressed farmers from Vidarbha commit suicide in the last 48 hours alone and ill fated farmers whose cases reported are identified as
1.Dhyaneshwar Golhar of village ashti in Yavatmal
2.Subhash Todase of village Mira in Yavatmal
3.Ravindra Hule of village Wadegoan in Akola
More than 3 million cotton farmers who are credit starved and delayed rain has already damaged more than 25%  kharif  yield and  rains are delayed further, there could be a sharp increase in the tally of farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha from 438 from January this year, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti informed in press release today
 “An arid Vidarbha has had erratic rains since 2010. This year, too, the second week of June saw very heavy rains in some blocks. This was followed by normal monsoon as forecast by the metrological department. On cue, farmers finished sowing, only to face a complete dry spell for 20 days then we got heavy rain in first week of July forcing  dry land cotton farmers second sowing but this time too, They were forced to watch the heat scorch both their freshly resown crop and recent dry spell and when their re-sowing has been lost ,debt trapped and distressed farmers are killing themselves ”Tiwari added.
Tiwari takes umbrage at Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s comment who is busy in power sharing and protecting the corrupt NCP Ministers, that the delay in monsoon is not a matter of concern. “Coming on the heels of the National Crime Records Bureau’s announcement that Maharashtra saw the largest number of farmers’ suicides in 2011, this seems not only insensitive, but is also a mockery of the farmers’ distress.”
Official figures show that less than 25% of the over three million cotton farmers are covered by institutional banks and that crop loan disbursement target is less than 40% of Nabard’s (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) credit outlay to the region. “The government knows credit crunch is the real issue and credit-starved, debt-trapped farmers are being pushed to end their lives, but we haven’t seen the government being pro-active in this regard,” alleges Tiwari. “At least now, it should intervene and restructure crop loans.”
“The water in dams and reservoirs is fast depleting. Ground water levels have dropped due to over-exploitation. Those moving away from cotton and soya, which ruin both the ecosystem and their lives, to traditional crops which require less water, like pulses, groundnut, jowar and bajra, should be given incentives,” he urges.

विदर्भात ६० टक्के शेतकरी पीक कर्जापासून वंचित-सरकारी अनुदान वाटपासाठी राजरोसपणे खंडणी- शेतकरयांना जबरीने विमा पॉलिसी घेण्याची सक्ती

विदर्भात ६० टक्के शेतकरी पीक कर्जापासून वंचित-सरकारी अनुदान वाटपासाठी राजरोसपणे खंडणी- शेतकरयांना जबरीने विमा पॉलिसी घेण्याची सक्ती
 यवतमाळ, १९ जुलै 
यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यातील शेतकरयांवर दुबार पेरणीचे संकट आले असताना व अर्धा खरीप हंगाम झाला असताना सरकारी बँकांनी ५५० कोटींपैकी फक्त१८० कोटी रुपये पीककर्ज रूपाने वाटप केले असून, सहकारी बँकांनी पिककर्जाच्या नावावर खांदेपालट करताना शेतकरयांकडून ५ टक्के रक्कम अवैधपणे वसूल केल्याच्या तक्रारी आल्या आहेत. जिल्हाधिकारयांनी बोलावलेल्या यापूर्वीच्या सर्व बैठकांचा कोणताही परिणाम दिसून येत नसून, जिल्हाधिकारयांचे आदेश मिळाल्यानंतर राष्ट्रीयकृत बँका सक्तीने पीककर्ज न देण्याचे धोरण राबवित आहे. या उलट ज्या बँका शेतकरयांना व महिला बचत गटांना पीककर्ज देण्याचे कबूल करीत आहेत ते त्यांना खाजगी विमा कंपन्यांच्या महागड्या पॉलिसी काढण्यास सक्ती करीत आहे. जे शेतकरी व महिला बचत गटाचे सदस्य जीवन किवा आरोग्य विमा काढत नाहीत, त्यांना पीक कर्ज नाकारण्यात येत आहे. बँक ऑफ महाराष्ट्र झरी येथील शाखा व्यवस्थापकांनी पीककर्ज वाटपासाठी स्वत:चे नियम लावले असून, आपल्याच मर्जीने अनेक गावे काळ्या यादीत टाकली आहेत, तर सरकारी बँकांच्या पीककर्ज न देण्याच्या धोरणाचा परिणाम म्हणून यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यात ३० टक्के जमीन यावर्षी लागवडीपासून वंचित राहण्याचे गंभीर संकट निर्माण झाले. पीककर्ज वाटपाच्या समस्येवर मुख्यमंत्र्यांनी तोडगा काढावा, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली आहे. 
मागील ४० दिवसांपासून सरकारने यावर्षी घोषित केलेली नापिकीग्रस्त शेतकरयांना अनुदानात्मक मदत सहकारी बँकांच्या खात्यात जमा झाली आहे. परंतु, फक्त३० टक्के शेतकरयांनाच या मदतीचे वाटप झाले आहे. यवतमाळ जिल्हा मध्यवर्ती सहकारी बँक, शाखा फुलसावंगी येथील व्यवस्थापक विनायक जाधव हे ग्राहकांशी असभ्य वर्तवणूक करीत आहेत. उद्धट व अपमानास्पद वागणूक देत आहे. पैसे देणारयांचे विड्रॉल रात्री ८ वाजतासुद्धा होतात. पैसे न दिल्यास विड्रॉलसाठी ताटकळत उभे राहावे लागत असल्याचा बळीराम राठोड, चरण राठोड, भारत पवार, देविदास राठोड, उत्तम राठोड, भिकू जाधव, रघुराज पांडे, सुरेश राठोड आदी शेतकरयांचा आरोप आहे. तालुक्यातील कास्तकार २० ते २५ किलोमीटर अंतराहून जमेल तसे येतात व दिवसभर ताटकळत उभे राहून निराश होऊन परत जातात. जो पैसे देतो त्याचे लगेच काम होत आहे. या सर्व प्रकारांमुळे शेतकरयांना प्रचंड मानसिक त्रास सहन करावा लागत असून, शेतीची सर्व कामे यामुळे खोळंबली आहेत. या सर्व प्रकरणांची जिल्हाधिकारयांनी फौजदारी चौकशी करावी, अशी तक्रार विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने केली आहे.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

NRI opens free training centre for farm widows, children=TIMES OF INDIA


Printed from

NRI opens free training centre for farm widows, children

YAVATMAL: Moved by the plight of farm widows and their children in Vidarbha, Oman-based technocrat Krishnakumar Taori on Saturday started a computer training centre at village Ghuikhed from where he belongs. The distressed persons would be taught free to fight the agrarian crisis.
The centre, set up in memory of his mother Kamlabai Taori in which children of farmers studying in standards VIII to XII and farm widows would be given training, was inaugurated by member of Parliament from Akola Sanjay Dhotre at Ghuikhed, near Chandur Bazar. Former MLA Arun Adsad was present. President of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti Kishore Tiwari spoke about the need for opening more such centres which is expected to seek expertise of Yavatmal-based Vidyadeep Sansthan headed by lawyer Shivaji Gade.
Technocrat's father Dr Badridas Taori recalled his contribution to the health care of the poor and the needy, saying he resigned from a permanent job in the health department from the then Madhya Pradesh and returned to Ghuikhed to serve the people.
Dhotre lauded the noble cause of setting up the free training centre so that the poor children could get computer knowledge. He urged children to become self-sufficient.
Adsad highlighted the benefits of computer and Internet and urged students to join the training centre.
Krishnakumar Taori spoke of the plans to set up an ITI in the village so that youths could get training in various technical trades and promote establishment of small industrial units to earn livelihood.
Ghuikhed, which comes under the submergence area of Bhembla river irrigation project, has a population of 8,000. The government has already acquired the land. Though alternative plots and compensation were given to the affected, the villagers are yet to be shifted.
Krishnakumar said he would try to rehabilitate maximum number of suicide-hit farmers' families on long-term basis and hoped the training centre having five batches of 18 students each would help meet the goal.
Gajanan Sonone conducted the function while VJAS general secretary Mohan Jadhav proposed a vote of thanks.

NRI Krishnakumar Taori facilitates computer lessons for Vidarbha farmers- IANS


NRI Krishnakumar Taori facilitates computer lessons for Vidarbha farmers- IANS

Nagpur, July 15 (IANS) Over 120 farmers, farmers' widows and youth have enrolled for a free computer training centre set up by a non-resident Indian from Oman in a Maharashtra village.
Krishnakumar Taori, the group managing director of a construction company in Oman, is a native of the Ghuikhed village on the Yavatmal-Amravati border in the farmers' suicide-hit Vidarbha region.
"With more than 120 registrations, including farmers, widows and youth, they will be provided basic to advanced computer courses absolutely free of cost here," said Sanjay S. Dhotre, a BJP MP from Akola, at the centre's inauguration in Saturday. Taori was also present at the function.
Dhotre admitted that though MPs received funds for development works in their constituency, "such an idea to set up a computer centre did not strike me."
With 10 computers and an internet connection, this is the first such training centre in the region containing nearly 100 villages.
The courses will be taught in three shifts daily.
In April, Taori, who was born to a cotton farmer in Ghuikhed, decided to set up the centre after a visit to Pandharkavada village to distribute saris and blankets to 200 women, whose husbands had committed suicide due to debt, said an activist.
"At that time, he (Taori) had expressed a desire to set up computer training centre and industrial training institutes. Land acquisition for the institutes has been done," Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti chief Kishore Tiwari, who helped in Taori's efforts, told IANS Sunday.
He said that for the last five years, Taori, the group managing director of Hasan Juma Backer Trading and Contracting Co. LLC, has been engaged in providing free education to tribal children of the backward Melghat region in Amravati district.

Friday, July 13, 2012

बीपीएल शिधा पत्रिका सर्व गरीबांना मिळाव्या- झरी येथे १७ जुलैला अन्नाधिकार आंदोलनाची घोषणा

बीपीएल शिधा पत्रिका सर्व गरीबांना मिळाव्या-
झरी येथे १७ जुलैला अन्नाधिकार आंदोलनाची घोषणा

तभा वृत्तसेवा-यवतमाळ, १२ जुलै
यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यातील सर्व गरीबांना अंत्योदय योजना लागू व्हावी व बीपीएल शिधावाटपपत्रिका मिळाव्या या मागणीकरिता मंगळवार, १७ जुलैला झरी तालुक्यातील हजारो आदिवासी तहसील कार्यालयासमोर अन्नाधिकार आंदोलन सुरू करतील अशी घोषणा विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी यवतमाळ येथे पत्रकार परिषदेत केली.
मागील दहा वर्षांपासून दारिद्रयरेषेखालील असणारया विभक्त झालेल्या आदिवासी, दलित व वंचित कुटुंबांना सर्वोच्च न्यायालयाच्या आदेशानंतरही पिवळ्या शिधावाटप पत्रिकेपासून यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यात १ लाख कुटुंब वंचित आहेत. न्यायमूर्ती वाधवा समितीने आपल्या यवतमाळ दौरयाच्यावेळी जिल्ह्यातील लोकसंख्येच्या प्रमाणात अन्नाच्या अधिकारापासून वंचित असलेल्या सुमारे ३० हजार कुटुंबांना शिधावाटप पत्रिका देण्याचे आदेश १६ महिने उलटूनही जिल्हाधिकारयांनी केराच्या टोपलीत टाकले आहेत.
देशात लाखो मेट्रीक टन गहू व तांदूळ सरकारी गोदामात सडत असल्यामुळे व ठेवण्यासाठी जागा नसल्यामुळे केंद्र सरकारने सर्व शिधावाटपधारकांना बीपीएलच्या दराने अन्न पुरवठा करण्याची घोषणा केली आहे. त्यासाठी राज्य सरकारने अन्नाची मागणी करावी अशी सूचनासुद्धा योजना आयोगाने  केली आहे. मात्र महाराष्ट्र सरकारने बीपीएलच्या शिधावाटप पत्रिका वाढविण्याऐवजी लाखो शिधावाटप धारकांना वगळण्याचा सपाटा सुरू केला आहे. यामुळे राज्यात ५० लाखांवर कुटुंब दारिद्रय रेषेच्याखाली असूनसुद्धा पिवळ्या शिधावाटप पत्रिकेपासून वंचित आहेत. यामध्ये यवतमाळ जिल्हा सर्वात आघाडीवर आहे. यवतमाळ जिल्ह्याच्या जिल्हाधिकारयांनी २००६ मध्ये उच्च न्यायालयात शपथपत्र देवून केंद्र सरकारच्या अन्न नियंत्रण कायदा २००१ प्रमाणे प्रत्येक वर्षी गरिबांची ओळख करुन शिधावाटप पत्रिका नव्याने देत असल्याचे शपथपत्र दिले आहे. मात्र मागील १ वर्षात शिधावाटपपत्रिका नसलेल्या गरीबांना नव्या पिवळ्या शिधावाटप पत्रिका देण्याची कोणतीही मोहीम जिल्हाधिकारी कार्यालयाने सुरू केलेली नाही. १९९७ पासून पिवळ्या शिधावाटप पत्रिका बीपीएल कुटुंबानासुद्धा देण्यात येत नसून विभक्त होणारया कुटुंबाना एपीएलच्या पांढरया शिधावाटपपत्रिका प्रचंड पाठपुराव्यानंतर देण्यात येत आहेत. सध्या यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यात सरकारचे बीपीएल कार्ड असणारे आणि बीपीएलच्या पिवळ्या शिधावाटपपत्रिका नसणारे एक लाखांवर कुटुंब आहेत. यासर्व बीपीएल कार्डधारकांना बीपीएलच्या दराने अन्न मिळावे यासाठी मंगळवार, १७ जुलैपासून विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीतर्फे जनआंदोलन सुरू करण्याची घोषणा समितीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर तिवारी यांनी पत्रपरिषदेत केली.
यवतमाळ जिल्ह्यात नगर पालिका क्षेत्रात फक्त २० टक्के गरीबांनाच बीपीएल कार्ड असून यामधील फारच कमी लोकांजवळ पिवळ्या शिधावाटप पत्रिका आहेत. मागील १० वर्षांत सरकारने जास्तीत  जास्त गरीबांना अन्नापासून वंचित करण्याचे धोरण स्वीकारले आहे. नागरी पुरवठा विभागाने नव्या  पिवळ्या बीपीएल दराने अन्न देणारया शिधावाटप पत्रिका रोखले असून उच्च न्यायालयाच्या आदेशानंतरही हजारो कोलाम कुटुंब अंत्योदय योजनेपासुन वंचित आहेत.एकीकडे सरकार अन्नाचा साठा जास्त झाल्यामुळे गहू आणि तांदूळ पडेल त्या किंमतीत देशाबाहेर विकत आहे. उपासमारीला तोंड देत असलेल्या आदिवासी, दलित व नगदी पिकांची शेती करणारया कोरडवाहू शेतकरयांना अन्नापासून वंचित ठेवल्या जात आहे. विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीतर्फे आंदोलनाचा पहिला टप्पा म्हणून सर्व बीपीएल यादीतील गरीबांकडून बीपीएल शिधावाटपपत्रिका मिळावी यासाठी अन्न नियंत्रण कायदा २००१ च्या नियमाप्रमाणे अर्ज भरुन घेण्यात येईल. सर्व अर्ज प्रत्यक्ष पडताळणी करून त्यांच्या याद्या तयार करून प्रत्येक तालुक्यांसमोर अन्नाच्या आग्रहाचे सत्याग्रह करून तहसीलदारांना देण्यात येईल. १५ ऑगस्टपर्यंत नवीन पिवळ्या शिधावाटपपत्रिका देण्यासाठी आग्रह धरण्यात येणार आहे. जर सरकारने या सर्व अर्जांना केराची टोपली दाखविली तर १५ ऑगस्टला अन्नाचा लढा जिल्हाधिकारी कार्यालयावर रेटण्यात येईल, अशी घोषणा समितीचे नेते मोहन जाधव, सुरेश बोलेनवार, अंकित नैताम मोरेश्वर वातीले, भीमराव  नैताम यांनी केली आहे

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Maharashtra farmers welcome Bt cotton ban-By Indo Asian News Service

Maharashtra farmers welcome Bt cotton ban

IANS India Private LimitedBy Indo Asian News Service | IANS India Private Limited

http://in.news.yahoo.com/maharashtra-farmers-welcome-bt-cotton-ban-145128353--finance.html
Nagpur, July 12 (IANS) Farmers in Maharashtra Thursday welcomed the state government's move to ban Bt cotton seeds which have created many problems for the agricultural community, mainly in Vidarbha region, an activist said.
The move was announced in the Maharashtra legislature by Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil Wednesday.
The minister said the decision was based on many complaints of the farming community and reports of agriculture officers that the Mahyco Monsanto Biotech had been allegedly supplying sub-standard seeds.
According to Vidarbha Jan Andola Samiti chief Kishore Tiwari, the government move is most welcome as the company had failed to supply good quality seeds despite taking huge amounts as advance from debt-trapped cotton farmers in the region.
MMB is a joint venture between Mahyco, Maharashtra, and Monsanto Holdings Pvt. Ltd., USA which has sub-licensed Bollgard II and Bollgard technologies to 28 Indian seed companies since 2005.
Tiwari claimed that after the commercial trials of the genetically modified seeds were started, it triggered a spate of suicides among cotton farmers, which continues unabated till date.
He alleged that the monopolistic US multinational corporation has been duping innocent farmers and demanded a ban on all the other 28 sub-licensed companies in the country.
Tiwari pointed out that though the minister has announced the ban on Mahyco-Monsanto, there is no clarity on the situation of their 28 sub-licences, and urged the government to make its stand on the issue clear immediately.
The Bt cotton seeds should be replaced by traditional Indian cotton seeds as they are much more cost-effective than the Bt varieties, are ready for plucking in just 150-160 days compared to Bt's 180-200 days, thus reducing the need for additional inputs like fertilizers, pesticides and other nutrients.
Presently, India ranks at the top in Bt.Cotton cultivation covering 126 lakh hectares, up from just four lakh hectares in the past decade or so.
However, in view of the general disadvantages plus health issues associated, we are in favour of a complete ban on all genetically modified technology in India, Tiwari said.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

BKS support to Bt Cotton is unfortunate –VJAS


BKS support to Bt Cotton is unfortunate –VJAS

Nagpur-8th july 2011
The recently published  study on the "Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of Bt Cotton in India" jointly undertaken by the Council for Social Development (CSD) and Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) confirms that cotton production in India has risen substantially with the use of the hybrid Bt cotton seeds resulting in benefiting small farmers is part of spate of bogus 'news reports' and study reports which are  appearing the newspapers on productivity of Bt cotton is not in line with fact and ground reality of Maharashtra cotton farmers who facing crop failure in the same period BKS study and state Govt. paid Rs.4000 crore to nearly 4 million cotton farmers for Bt.cotton failure in 42 lakhs hector more over State agriculture commissioner Umakant Dangat officially admitted that  India has the lowest cotton productivity in the world and Maharashtra, the lowest in India and union agriculture  minister  Mr Sharad Pawar own admission that vidarbha dry land farmers are losing more than Rs.2000 crore per year since introduction of Bt.cotton seed in vidarbha,  is proven fact that it’s classic example  of promoting wrong technology  to wrong class agrarian community as rain sensitive crop has proven killer seed in west vidarbha as 95% farmers opted this technology are dry land farmers hence we urge BKS to look at ground reality and withdraw is unjustified report as mark of respect to around 9000 vidarbha farm widows who innocent victims of promoting rain sensitive Bt.cotton seed in drought prone dry land region of west vidarbha where small afrmers are the most effected and debt trapped after adopting Bt. Cotton cultivation  , informed today vidarbha cotton farmers’ advocacy group Vidarbha Jannadolan Samiti (VJAS,) president Kishore Tiwari  who is  demanding the complete ban of genetically modified Bt.cotton seed in vidarbha and documenting cotton farmers suicides since 2002 .
‘We urge team of Council for Social Development (CSD) and Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) members   associated with the study which contradicting the facts of   dying field of vidarbha where more than 9000 cotton farmers committed suicide and 100% farmers who opted Bt.cotton seed are in distress and debt and review the reasons of  Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) Director Keshav Kranthi changed version  that the cost of seeds of straight varieties is much lower than Bt varieties, besides which these varieties become ready for plucking in just 150-160 days whereas BT varieties take around 180-200 days, which reduces the need for fertilizers, pesticides and other nutrients substantially and unlike Bt cotton varieties, seeds derived from straight cotton varieties can be used during the next season ,these are ground realities totally ignored hence study reports is untrue and misleading hence we want Indian Govt. “white paper”  the performance of Bt. Cotton seed in last decade’ Tiwari added.


“BKS study report timing is unfortunately coinciding when Monsanto Bt.cottonseed manufacture clearly is pulling out all stops and enhancing its propaganda budget and acting through both deals with media and with individual, sold-out journalists other seed corporations in order to make environment for BRAI bill to get through in Indian parliament  and defend the ground report finding of  The parliamentary standing committee on agriculture which is likely to table it’s report on  July 15 and possibly even hold a press conference by that date hence BKS report needs to reviewed seriously which is not in line with pathetic condition of Maharashtra cotton farmers where situation is almost same nine cotton growing states of India in 2009-2010 as area under Bt.cotton cultivation has increased from 9 million hector to 12 million hector but there is  no increase in cotton production where in dry land cotton growing regions Bt.cotton yield has touched to minimum in last three years   even there is drastic increase in use of fertilizer and pesticide  hence BKS-CSD report is looks like stage managed desk work with cut-paste technology which has discredited reputation of BKS and CSD  hence we demand it’s withdrawal Tiwari added.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Truant monsoon forces four vidarbha farmers to end life in 48 hrs-DNA

Truant monsoon forces four vidarbha farmers to end life in 48 hrs-DNA

  http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_truant-monsoon-forces-four-farmers-to-end-life-in-48-hrs_1711223
DNA / Yogesh Pawar / Friday, July 6, 2012 8:00 IST

The erratic progress of the monsoon has made four distressed farmers from Vidarbha commit suicide in the last 48 hours alone.
Six others had done the same last week.
Activists fear that if rains are delayed further, there could be a sharp increase in the tally of farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha from 426 from January this year.
Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti says “An arid Vidarbha has had erratic rains since 2010. This year, too, the second week of June saw very heavy rains in some blocks. This was followed by normal monsoon as forecast by the metrological department. On cue, farmers finished sowing, only to face a complete dry spell for 20 days. They were forced to watch the heat scorch both their freshly sown crop and their hopes of good production.”
Tiwari takes umbrage at agriculture minister Sharad Pawar’s comment that the delay in monsoon is not a matter of concern. “Coming on the heels of the National Crime Records Bureau’s announcement that Maharashtra saw the largest number of farmers’ suicides in 2011, this seems not only insensitive, but is also a mockery of the farmers’ distress.”
Official figures show that less than 25% of the over three million cotton farmers are covered by institutional banks and that crop loan disbursement target is less than 40% of Nabard’s (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) credit outlay to the region. “The government knows credit crunch is the real issue and credit-starved, debt-trapped farmers are being pushed to end their lives, but we haven’t seen the government being pro-active in this regard,” alleges Tiwari. “At least now, it should intervene and restructure crop loans.”
“The water in dams and reservoirs is fast depleting. Ground water levels have dropped due to over-exploitation. Those moving away from cotton and soya, which ruin both the ecosystem and their lives, to traditional crops which require less water, like pulses, groundnut, jowar and bajra, should be given incentives,” he urges.
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Climate Change claims four vidarbha farmers' suicides in last 48 Hours

Climate Change claims four vidarbha farmers' suicides in last 48 Hours

Climate change and credit crunch claims four vidarbha farmers' suicides in last 48 Hours

NAGPUR: 5TH  July  2012
The erratic monsoon and effects of climate change has started giving it’s severe effect   in farm suicides prone dry land region vidarbha where four more distressed small farmers killed themselves in last 48 hours as per reports published in local media  and  they are identified as
1.Rajebdra Raut  of Village Ajani in Yavatmal
2.Vithal Jugnake of Village Hiwara in Wardha
3.Suresh Thokale of Village Wadhona in Wardha
4.Gopichand Khatole of Village Khandi in Gondia
Earlier last week six ill fated farmers who committed suicides due to delayed rains and failure sowing  as reported earlier are
5.Dhyaneshwar Tayde og village Telhra  dist..Akola
6.Rajendra Wadhai of village Supalipar in distt. Gondi
7.Ramdas Hingwe of village Nara in wardha
8.Babulal Rathode of village deurwadi in Yavatmal
9. Vijay  Pimpalshende of Sonurli in Yavatmal
10. Ambadas Hatgoankar of Konghara in Yavatmal
This takes tally of farmers suicides in vidarbha  to 422 in year 2012 ,Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jandolan Samiti (VJAS) informed in press release today
“In dry land region of vidarbha we are facing the problem of erratic rain of monsoon since 2010 this year too earlier second week June there were very heavy rains some of select blocks followed by normal monsoon forecast of metrological deptt. tempting   farmer to start sowing but next 20 days ,the dry spell with very hot sunny days damaged whole sowing fueling the distress in dying cotton farmers resulting in such high numbers of suicides  ,till monsoon rain pattern of heavy rain in select block and complete drought like situation in some of district is causing grate concern but you are surprised to see the remark of Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that delay in monsoon is not matter of worry  as he may right because he has never looked at dying farmers of Maharashtra even NCRB has been reporting maximum suicides indicating agrarian crisis is at it’s peak in mother state of  Sharad Pawar that’s is very unfortunate and shocking ”Tiwari added.
‘As per official figure of  administration out 3 million  cotton farmers only 25% farmers have been covered in to institutional banks and crop loan disbursement target is less 40% of NABARD credit outlay to the region and credit crunch has been issue as debt trapped farmers are credit starved and is one of factor of despair in agrarian crisis hence we demand central intervention for crop loan restructuring in selct blocks where resowing is being done’ Tiwari urged.
“Vidarbha agrarian crisis has entered seven year now and vidarbha farmers suicides are being reported since June 2005 @ 8 hourly and as per official Govt. record more that 9000 dry land farmers have killed themselves due distress and despair accumulated due to crop failure and economic losses due cotton prices collapses due wrong policies of Indian Govt. regarding export  . now one side monsoon rain are getting delayed other side banks are not giving fresh crop loan to farmers and input cost of as Bt.cotton seed ,fertilizers and pesticides have been  has been almost double in same cases triple which is also adding fuel to the crisis as last year too in maharashtra alone Bt.cotton failed in 42 lakh hector and maharashtra has officially paid more than Rs.4000 crore as compensation to the dying cotton farmers of region  hence furrows on farmers' brows are getting deeper as they desperately wait for rains,.with the monsoon playing truant, water level in reservoirs of large and medium dams is fast depleting At least now the government should intervene to see that farmers take up less rain-sensitive food crops like jawar and bajra instead of cotton and soya so as to sustain food needs for the year ahead," said Tiwari.
‘Ground reality in  complete maharashtra in too gloomy to explain ground water level has reached to very alarming level and uncontrolled water mining is adding fuel to crisis and the promotion of very rain sensitive crop like Bt.cotton by the maharashtra state is making situation more difficult as farmers who want shift from Bt.cotton they are not getting good quality seed of food crop and pluses  more over very low minimum support price and productivity ,farmers are being forced to opt Bt.cotton seed  hence we demand urgent Govt. intervention to provide direct aid and quality seed for the dry land farmers who are demanding seed of pulses ,ground nu ,jawar ,bajar maize ’ Tiwari urged to the Govt.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

German study on Bt cotton benefits in India is Untrue and Misleading- VJAS


German study on Bt cotton benefits in India is Untrue and Misleading- VJAS  

Nagpur -3rd July 2012
The so called German study of 533 farming households in four cotton growing states including Karnataka between 2002 and 2008 done by Agricultural Economist Matin Qaim at Germany’s University of Goettingen, published in the July 2 issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences that Bt cotton has economically benefited not merely the big farmers. Small farmers are also smiling as their profit margin shot up by 50 per cent in the last decade is untrue and misleading as ground reality is too gloomy to explain and it is unfair to draw such conclusion when Bt.cotton is being cultivated in more than 12 million hector and around 10 million cotton farmers are opted for Bt.cotton seed replacing traditional cotton seed and all officials reports confirm that the introduction of commercial trials Bt.cotton seed is one main reason of triggering cotton farmers suicides and has been main cause vidarbha agrarian crisis forcing Indian Govt. shift from tradition cotton seed hence such baseless and fabricated study is part of paid news campaign being intentionally done Bt.cotton seed manufacturer US base world largest Bt.cotton seed producing company Monsanto Inc. hence 3 million distressed and debt trapped dry land cotton farmers demand Indian Govt. clarification over such hyped surveys and study reports taking micro sample of select cotton farmers ,informed today vidarbha cotton farmers’ advocacy group Vidarbha Jannadolan Samiti (VJAS) convener Kishore Tiwari  who is  demanding the complete ban of genetically modified Bt.cotton seed in vidarbha and documenting cotton farmers suicides since 2002 .
    
The recent move of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) and The Maharashtra government to implement a pilot project titled as the Brazilian model of Non-Bt.cotton promotion in eight districts of Vidarbha region to start cultivation of straight varieties of cotton in place of hybrid or Bt (Genetically-Modified) ones, the government appears to be doing a rethink over its policy of promoting Bt cotton  which confirm complete failure of Bt.cotton seed technology but such project will be futile when  nearly 90% of the area under cotton in India is under Bt varieties which cover around 12 million hector and any trial 160 acres of land belonging to 160 farmers in this region will be difficult to give desired result hence we demand complete ban Bt.cotton cultivation in dry land region of vidarbha  to make compulsory for cotton farmers’ to cultivate non-Bt straight indigenous varieties which are proven for hundreds of years, Kishor Tiwari of vidarbha advocacy group Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS.) added.
“the German study  carried out in 533 farming households in four cotton growing states including Karnataka between 2002 and 2008, the study says cotton yields and profits increased by 24 and 50 per cent respectively among Bt cotton farmers as against non-Bt crops where as in vidarbha is agrarian crisis is directly linked with as all farmer suicide prone district mono crop  which is predominantly cultivated is Bt.cotton since 2005 and now State agriculture commissioner Umakant Dangat officially admitted that  India has the lowest cotton productivity in the world and Maharashtra, the lowest in India and union agriculture  minister  Mr Sharad Pawar own admission that vidarbha dry land farmers are losing more than Rs.2000 crore per year since introduction of Bt.cotton seed in vidarbha,  is proven fact that it’s classic example  of promoting wrong technology  to wrong class agrarian community as rain sensitive crop has proven killer seed in west vidarbha as 95% farmers opted this technology are dry land farmers ” Tiwari added.

‘We urged Matin Qaim, professor of agricultural economics and rural development at Georg-August-University of Goettingen and all other authors of the study to the dying field of vidarbha where more than 9000 cotton farmers committed suicide and 100% farmers who opted Bt.cotton seed are in distress and debt where as Indian Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar himself admitted in Indian parliament that vidarbha cotton farmers’ are losing more than Rs.2000 crore due to wrong selection of rain sensitive Bt.cotton in rain fed region of Maharashtra  and study also contradict the official report  of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) Director Keshav Kranthi  that the cost of seeds of straight varieties is much lower than Bt varieties, besides which these varieties become ready for plucking in just 150-160 days whereas BT varieties take around 180-200 days, which reduces the need for fertilizers, pesticides and other nutrients substantially and unlike Bt cotton varieties, seeds derived from straight cotton varieties can be used during the next season ,these are ground realities totally ignored hence study reports is untrue and misleading hence we want Indian Govt. “white paper”  the performance of Bt. Cotton seed in last decade’ Tiwari added.