Vidarbha Agrarian Crisis deepen as 4 more Yavatmal Farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours

Vidarbha Agrarian Crisis deepen as 4 more Yavatmal Farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours

Nagpur-28^th January 201

As all officials are busy election and SEC has stopped relief aids has further deepen the on going Agrarian crisis in cotton belt of vidarbha as 4 more debt trapped and distressed cotton farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours ,the recent victims identified as

1.Gajanan kale of Nandura in Yavatmal

2.Mahadeo chavan of Khopari(khurd) in Yavatmal

3.Pundlik Ade of Pathri in Yavtmal

4.Narendra Thakare of sarpali in Yavatmal

As per official reports around 300 distressed farmers committed suicides in year 2011 alone and suicide spiral is till continued in 2012 ,Kishor Tiwari, president of Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), activist group working for cotton farmer rights in a Press release today.

The complete administration and All political parties are busy in Local body elections whereas SEC guidelines of moral code of conductions are stopping the babus to release relief aids to dying farmers resulting in farmers suicides . Every party raised the banner demanding a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) to at least 6,000 a quintal from 3300 at present are keeping mum ,Tiwari added.

Poor yields had disturbed the whole calculation for the region's growers and many had not grown enough to even break even at current rates, Moreover, Friday's session left the traders apprehensive too as the rates of lint (processed cotton) have gone down by 500 at 35,000 a candy (3.56 quintals). This is expected to have a ripple effect on raw cotton prices too. The prevailing cotton rates will add fuel to on going cotton grower’s crisis as given the rising cost of production, a rate of 6,000 a quintal alone will leave some surplus with farmers, Tiwari said.

According to the data compiled by Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), Maharashtra has the second lowest yield at 355 kgs per hectare. This translates to around 1.5 quintals an acre. Karnataka yield is 322 kg a hectare or 1.28 quintals per acre. According cotton federation, a yield of at least 5-6 quintals per acre is needed for the farmer to turn a profit. This doesn't happen here mainly due to lack of irrigation, Tiwari said.

Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti said even though state government has announced relief package, it was too less to make good the farmers' losses। Under the scheme, a farmer gets 4,000 per hectares with the dole being capped at 8000 per cultivator. "If the losses are considered, the grant is too less. The only solution is to increase the minimum support prices as market trends only indicate bearish outlook for future," he said.

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गन्ना किसानों से धोखा कर रहे कारखाने-नितीन गडकरी के घर के सामने आंदोलन की चेतावनी=भास्कर

गन्ना किसानों से धोखा कर रहे कारखाने : तिवारी
नितीन गडकरी के घर के सामने आंदोलन की चेतावनी
http://epaper.bhaskar.com/index.php?editioncode=196&ch=mpcg
विशेष प्रतिनिधि. नागपुर

विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समिति के प्रमुख किशोर तिवारी ने आरोप लगाया है कि शक्कर कारखाने गन्ना उत्पादक किसानों के साथ धोखा कर रहे हैं। राज्य सरकार द्वारा 1800 रु. समर्थन मूल्य घोषित करने के बावजूद शक्कर कारखाने किसानों को 1500 रु. दे रहे हैं। श्री तिवारी ने कहा कि किसान नेता सांसद राजू शेट्टी के आंदोलन के बाद राज्य सरकार ने पश्चिम महाराष्ट्र के गन्ना किसानों को 2050 रु. व विदर्भ, मराठवाड़ा के गन्ना किसानों को 1800 रु. समर्थन मूल्य देने की घोषणा की थी। विदर्भ के ज्यादातर शक्कर कारखाने भाजपा के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष नितीन गडकरी के पूर्ति उद्योग समूह के हैं। यहां 1500 रु. में गन्ना खरीदा जा रहा है। इस तरह किसान को 300 रु. की चपत लग रही है। सांसद शेट्टी के आंदोलन को भाजपा ने भी समर्थन दिया था और सरकार द्वारा समर्थन मूल्य देने की घोषणा करने पर इसका श्रेय भी लेने की कोशिश की थी। उन्होंने व्यंग्य किया कि भाजपा एक तरफ श्रेय लेने का काम रही है, वहीं दूसरी तरफ किसानों के साथ धोखा कर रही है। उन्होंने 1800 रु. समर्थन मूल्य देने तथा 300 रु. के घाटे को पूरा करने पैकेज देने के लिए शक्कर कारखानों पर दबाव डालने की मांग राज्य सरकार से की।

विदर्भाचे ऊस उत्पादकही हमीभावापासून वंचित-लोकशाही वार्ता

विदर्भाचे ऊस उत्पादकही हमीभावापासून वंचित

लोकशाही वार्ता/१४ जानेवारी

यवतमाळ : कृषिमंत्री शरद पवार यांच्या बारामती येथे ऑक्टोबरमध्ये बेमुदत उपोषण करून आंदोलन यशस्वी झाल्याच्या आनंदात स्वाभिमानी शेतकरी संघटनेचे खा.राजू शेट्टी यांनी शेतकर्‍यांना २0५0 तर विदर्भ, मराठवाड्याच्या शेतकर्‍यांना १८00 रुपये भाव फरक मंजूर करून ऊस उत्पादक शेतकर्‍यांना ४ हजार कोटींचे पॅकेज मिळाल्याची घोषणा केली. मात्र विदर्भातील आत्महत्याग्रस्त कापूस, सोयाबीनचा पेरा सोडून ऊस उत्पादनात गेलेल्या शेतकर्‍यांना मात्र ही घोषणा फसवी ठरली आहे. विदर्भातील सर्वच साखर कारखाने शेतकर्‍यांच्या १५00 रुपये दराने ऊस खरेदी करीत असून अशा प्रकारे भाव फरकाने ३00 रुपये शेतकर्‍यांच्या खिशातून काढून ऊस उत्पादक शेतकर्‍यांनाही आत्महत्येच्या वाटेवर नेत आहे.
महाराष्ट्र सरकारने मध्यस्थी केल्यानंतर व महाराष्ट्रातील साखर कारखानेदारांनी हमी भरल्यानंतरच खा. राजु शेट्टी यांनी आपले उपोषण मागे घेतले होते. मात्र विदर्भाच्या ऊस उत्पादक शेतकर्‍यांना १८00 रुपये भाव द्यावा यासाठी आघाडी सरकारने दबाव टाकावा, अशी मागणी विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे नेते किशोर तिवारी यांनी महाराष्ट्राचे मुख्यमंत्री पृथ्वीराज चव्हाण यांना एका निवेदनाद्वारे केली आहे. या निवेदनाची एक प्रत भाजपचे राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष नितीन गडकरी यांनाही देण्यात आली आहे.
विदर्भात सध्या सुरू असलेले सर्वच साखर कारखाने भाजपाचे राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष नितीन गडकरी यांच्या पूर्ती उद्योग समुहाचे असून शेतकर्‍यांना मंजुर केलेल्या १८00 रुपये दर न देता फक्त १५00 रुपये द्यावे, हा निर्णय नितीन गडकरी यांनी स्वत: बैठकीत घेतला असून ऑक्टोबरच्या बारामती येथील खासदार राजू शेट्टी यांच्या ऊस उत्पादक शेतकर्‍यांच्या हमीभाव वाढीच्या आंदोलनाला महाराष्ट्र भाजपचे अध्यक्ष सुधीर मुनगंटीवार यांनी भेट देऊन सक्रिय पाठिंबा जाहीर केला होता. शिवसेना व मनसेनेही पाठिंबा दिला होता व मागण्या मंजूर झाल्यानंतर आंदोलनाच्या यशाचे श्रेय भाजपसह सर्व विरोधी पक्षांनी घेतले होते. मात्र राज्य सरकार व ऊस उत्पादकांमध्ये हमीभावबाबत झालेला समझोता भाजपचे राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष नितीन गडकरी यांनी केराच्या टोपलीत टाकल्यानंतर भाजपासह शिवसेना व मनसेही या विषयावर मौन साधुन आहे. हमीभाव न मिळाल्यास ऊस उत्पादक शेतकरी भाजपाचे राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष नितीन गडकरी यांच्या रामनगर निवासस्थानासमोर उपोषण, करेल अशी घोषणा किशोर तिवारी यांनी केली.

Vidarbha Sugarcane farmers also denied Minimum Support Price

Vidarbha Sugarcane farmers also denied Minimum Support Price

Nagpur Jan 13, 2012,

The Maharashtra government earlier announcement of Rs 1,800 MSP for sugarcane in Vidarbha and Marathwada and Rs 2,050 in western Maharashtra in October, Swabhimani Shetakari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetty MP led an agitation in western Maharashtra for higher minimum support price for sugarcane is turning to be another eyewash as announced MSP for pluses announced by union Govt as in Sugar Factories are offering Rs 1,500 per quintal for sugarcane and this time injustice is done by BJP National President Nitin Gadkari whose “PURTI GROUP” is running most of sugar factories involved in sugar, methanol and power generation likely to dine Rs.100 crore legitimately owned by the farmers as per agreement done with state Govt. as his party has supported Raju Shetty MP led an agitation in western Maharashtra , Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, a farmers’ advocacy group in a press release today

“When demand of higher MSP of vidarbha cotton, soya and paddy farmers have been rejected ,it was expected that much hyped sugar cane growers will get at least Rs 1,800 per ton price wich was less that rate fixed for western Maharashtra on ground less recovery of sugar but practically they are given 20% less even if the state government has declared Rs.1,800 and Rs2,050 support price for sugarcane growers in Vidarbha, Marathwada and western Maharashtra regions respectively, the farmers in this region are still waiting for this price and now main opposition parties in vidarbha are keeping salient over issue as this time unjust is done by BJP National President Nitin Gadkari which is serious concern ,we are taking up issue with BJP national high command so that they will direct there National President to natural justice to vidarbha farmers who have opted sugarcanes cultivation only after he urged them to do so .we will not allow distress vidarbha farmers’ to commit suicide as he has opted for sugarcane crop and this is much more humiliating ”Tiwari added.

‘If sugar factory management has nothing to do with Govt. agreement then its ridicules to announce the MSP. We will take up issue with Director of sugar factories to get justice to the dying vidarbha farmers and if we fail to get justice we will start agitation before these sugar factories’ Tiwari announced.

MNS backs Vidarbha statehood demand- TIMES OF INDIA

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MNS backs Vidarbha statehood demand- TIMES OF INDIA

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Eyeing-polls-MNS-backs-Vid/articleshow/11482672.cms?prtpage=1
AMRAVATI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MS) on Friday supported the statehood demand for Vidarbha provided people conducted a referendum. Widely believed as a poll plank with civic elections round the corner, MNS MLA Bala Nandgaonkar said that the demand would be supported if people insist on it and not any political leader. Earlier, MNS had expressed its opposition to the statehood demand.

MNS, which has a tag of a political party of western Maharashtra, seemed to be trying to establish itself in Vidarbha in view of the civic elections with MLAs Nandgaonkar and Pravin Darekar taking up the touchy issue. They also took potshots at the government for sidelining Vidarbha.

Addressing a convention of the office-bearers of western Vidarbha here on Friday, Nandgaonkar said three chief ministers came from Vidarbha but the region was deprived of development. He also urged the activists to work tirelessly in preparation for the civic elections.

He said that it was a matter of pride that NCP president Sharad Pawar praised MNS chief Raj Thackeray for showing courage in politics. Without taking name, he criticized the 'dindi' taken out by Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote to highlight the woes of cotton growers.

In reply to a question, Nandgaonkar said that the alliance between Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI would not affect the prospects of MNS. They made the alliance because they did not have the confidence, he said. When asked whether Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray deciding to campaign in the civic election would affect MNS, he replied in the negative.

Darekar said that politicians in Vidarbha are not interested in development. Irrigation backlog, malnutrition and farmers' suicide are crucial issues in Vidarbha. But the government is hardly doing anything for them. Due to lack of infrastructure, industrial development has been hampered in the region. Despite that, Amravati district has great scope for tourism, he said.

Flopped BN Bt cotton leaves ICAR red-faced-Admits Misuse Power-TIMES OF INDIA

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Flopped BN Bt cotton leaves ICAR red-faced

TNN | Jan 11, 2012, 03.51AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Flopped-BN-Bt-cotton-leaves-ICAR-red-faced/articleshow/11442497.cms

A series of failures on part of agricultural scientists at different levels to maintain scientific rigour while developing a new variety of Bt cotton has resulted in Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) having egg on its face. Bikaneri Narma (BN), projected by ICAR as Indian variety of Bt cotton, has been found to contain gene from cotton variety developed by Monsanto, a farm product multinational.

Scientists involved in developing BN Bt cotton did not follow the scientific procedures to cross-check the presence of any contamination in the seeds before giving it to farmers for commercial cultivation. The variety developed by University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Dharwad, under the guidance of BM Khadi, has been found to contain Mon-531 gene instead of BN la106 truncated cry1 AC gene supplied by Ananda Kumar, director of National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB), an ICAR institute in Delhi to the university.

Deputy director general (DDG) crop sciences Dr SK Datta of ICAR in 2009 stopped any further multiplications of seed when he was told about the presence of Monsanto gene. ICAR director general S Ayyappan told TOI he would constitute an expert committee to look into the issue. However, predecessors of Ayyappan and Dutta did not appear to have taken required care while asking UAS Dharwad to commercialize the variety through city-based Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR). They failed to check the purity of variety even after an alert on presence of Monsanto gene in the material was sounded by the Bt referral lab of CICR.

Proceedings of two meetings (obtained by some UAS scientists under RTI and available with TOI), held in ICAR under the chairmanship of DDG, crop science, PL Gautam and SK Datta respectively show that the council was more than keen on commercializing and popularizing the variety in 2008 than heeding to warning signs.

Khadi admits his mistake to misuse his power

BM Khadi had brought the seeds from his university to CICR after taking over as CICR director. In 2005, he involved CICR in conducting bio-safety trials and seems to have misused his power as director. Now, he admits to his mistake. "Something went terribly wrong during multiplication of seeds but it is difficult to say when and how. I admit to the presence of Monsanto gene in our material. This is probably a contamination caused by cross-pollination during trials. When we got complaints from farmers for poor results in the crop we informed the DDG crop science (Gautam) but he asked us to continue the programme. I am a breeder and do not understand molecular biology," he said.

Khadi also seems to have manipulated things in his favour by being a member of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee ( GEAC) which cleared the products for genetically modified products during 2008. But now he admits that his presence in regulatory body was wrong as someone who's product is under examination cannot be a member of the regulatory committee.

Other experts in ICAR do not buy this argument. They say that the five scientists involved in the project, IS Katageri, HM Vamadevaiah, SS Udikeri, BM Khadi and Polumetla A Kumar were asked to withdraw their paper from Current Science published in volume 93, number 12, dated December 25, 2007, describing the work titled 'genetic transformation of an elite Indian genotype of cotton (Gossypium hirstum) for insect resistance, but the scientists did not do so.

Dutta admits something has gone wrong in the science and promised action against defaulters. Kumar, who gave the gene to Khadi, says the contamination happened at UAS end. But he too agreed that the gene given to UAS was borrowed from Prof Altosaar of Canada. "We are calling it a NRCPB gene as it belongs to us now as per agreement between NRCPB and the professor. It contains only 1850 base pairs compared to Monsanto that has 3600 pairs. I have not cheated anyone as I told Khadi about the origin of gene. My role is only to supply gene. Things went wrong at UAS end," he said.

Keshav Kranthi, who took over as acting director from Khadi, says he followed the commercialization procedure in good faith. "Since CICR was not involved at any step in development of the product except bio-safety trials and commercialization, the onus of explaining the presence of Monsanto gene or contamination lies with UAS alone," he said.

सत्ताधारी आघाडीच्या विरोधात प्रचार करणार-किशोर तिवारी

सत्ताधारी आघाडीच्या विरोधात प्रचार करणार - किशोर तिवारी

http://epaper.lokshahivarta.in/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate= राजकुमार भीतकर/ ९जानेवारी

यवतमाळ : शेतकरी व सर्वसामान्य जनतेच्या मूलभूत प्रश्नांकडे दुर्लक्ष करणार्‍या व राज्य आणि केंद्रात सत्तेत सहभागी असलेल्या आघाडी सरकारच्या विरोधात स्थानिक स्वराज्य संस्थेच्या निवडणुकीत प्रचार करून आघाडीतील घटक पक्षांना त्यांची जागा दाखविणार असल्याची, माहिती शेतकरी नेते व विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीचे अध्यक्ष किशोर तिवारी यांनी दै. 'लोकशाही वार्ता'ला दिली. तिवारींच्या या भूमिकेमुळे आघाडीतील घटक पक्षांना मोठा फटका बसणार असल्याचे चित्र निर्माण झाले आहे. या मुलाखतीत तिवारी पुढे म्हणाले, आघाडीतील घटक पक्ष असलेल्या काँग्रेस आणि राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसच्या नेत्यांनी शेतमाल हमी भाव, महागाईसारख्या महत्त्वाच्या प्रश्नांवर जनतेची घोर निराशा केली आहे. स्थानिक स्वराज्य संस्थेच्या निवडणुकीत या मुद्यांवर जनजागृती करून आघाडीच्या उमेदवाराला नामोहरम करण्याचा आमचा संकल्प आहे. एकीकडे राज्य आणि केंद्रात आघाडीत असलेले काँग्रेस व राष्ट्रवादी जिल्हय़ात स्वबळावर लढणार आहेत. आघाडीतील या घटक पक्षांजवळ जनतेसमोर जाण्यासाठी कोणताही मुद्दा शिल्लक राहिलेला नाही. सरकारने शेतकरी आणि सामान्य जनतेचा विश्‍वासघात केला आहे. कापूस प्रश्नांवर आघाडी सरकारने विदर्भातील शेतकर्‍यांच्या तोंडाला पाने पुसली आहेत. सरकारच्या कापूस निर्यातबंदीच्या निर्णयामुळे कवडीमोल किमतीत कापूस विकावा लागला. यावर्षी आगष्ट महिन्यापासून सत्तारूढ पक्षानेच कापसाला प्रतिक्विंटल सहा हजार रुपये हमी भाव देण्यात यावा, अशी ओरड केली. कंगाल व कर्जबाजारी झालेल्या शेतकर्‍यांना दिलासा देण्यात हे सरकार अपयशी ठरल्याचा आरोपही तिवारी यांनी केला आहे. आघाडी सरकरच्या या शेतकरीविरोधी धोरणाचा खुला विरोध या निवडणुकीत आम्ही करणार आहोत. ज्येष्ठ समाजसेवक अण्णा हजारे यांनी लोकपालच्या मुद्यावर सत्ताधारी पक्षाला घेरत पाच राज्यात काँग्रेसविरोधी भूमिका घेण्याचे ठरविल्यानंतर विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने घेतलेली भूमिका काँग्रेस व राष्ट्रवादीला विदर्भात हादरा देणारी ठरण्याची शक्यता आहे. आघाडीच्या उमेदवारांचा पराभव करण्यासाठी शेतकर्‍यांनी सक्षम विरोधी पक्षाला मतदान करावे, असे आवाहनही किशोर तिवारी यांनी केले आहे. शेतकरी आत्महत्या, शेतमालाच्या हमी भावाचा प्रश्न, कापूस, धान व सोयाबीन उत्पादकांना मिळालेली तुटपूंजी मदत, उद्द्धवस्त झालेले शेतकर्‍यांचे संसार, वाढती महागाई आणि सरकारचा दांभिकपणा आदी मुद्यांवर मतदारांच्या दारापर्यंत जाऊन जनजागृती करणार असल्याचा निर्णय 'विजस'ने घेतला आहे. जिल्हा परिषद व पंचायत समितीमार्फत ग्रामीण विकास, आरोग्य, शिक्षण व महिला व बालविकास, ग्रामीण विकास यंत्रणेमार्फत ग्रामीण भागातील आर्थिक व सर्व क्षेत्रातील विकासासाठी येणारा कोट्यवधी रुपयांचा निधी राजरोजसपणे लुटला जात असल्याचा आरोपही तिवारी यांनी केला. विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समिती काँग्रेस, राष्ट्रवादी काँग्रेसच्या उमेदवाराच्या विरोधात आपले उमेदवार उभे करणार आहे. 'कौन बनेगा करोडपती' या मालिकेमुळे प्रसिद्धीझोतात आलेल्या अपर्णा मालीकर, समितीचे सचिव मोहन जाधव, प्रेम चव्हाण, आदिवासी नेते बाबुलाल मेर्शाम यांना समितीतर्फे उमेदवारी दिली जाणार असल्याचे तिवारी यांनी सांगितले. सक्षम असलेल्या भाजप, शिवसेना किंवा अपक्ष उमेदवारालाही पाठिंबा देण्याचा निर्णय विदर्भ जनआंदोलन समितीने घेतल्याचेही तिवारींनी स्पष्ट केले