‘graveyard of farmers’ -32,000 farm suicides in vidarbha-p sainath

Vidarbha farmer suicide toll crosses 1,000 in 2007

Farmer suicide toll crosses 1,000
NGO Disputes CM, Says Distressed Farmers’ Relief Package Has Failed

Manish Sakharwade TNN

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Nagpur: Even as Diwali festivities lit up every home, the same could not be said for a number of farm-families that fell victim to the grave agrarian crisis sweeping the Vidarbha region. The toll of distressed farmers taking the extreme step due to repeated crop failure and mounting indebtedness has crossed the 1,000 mark this year, with around seven more farmers committing suicide over the last two days alone. Till November, 1,015 farmers have committed suicide this year, claimed Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), which has been documenting Vidarbha’s agrarian crisis along with farmers’ suicides in the region. On Diwali day, a distressed cotton farmer Maroti Ramji Gedam consumed pesticide in Tumup, a remote village under Parwa police station of Yavatmal district. Gedam, a tribal farmer, failing to break the vicious cycle of debt and crop failure, consumed poison, claimed VJAS. According to VJAS convener Kishore Tiwari, six more farmers including, Eknath Namdeo Kadu (Amarvati), Ashok Mahadev Desai, Durgakar Chaudhari (both from Chandrapur), Babulal Jayram Rathode (Yavatmal), Anand Pandurang Kedar (Yavatmal) and Vasant Bhikaji Umare (Yavatmal). Recently, Tiwari had strongly disputed the claim of Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s claim of success of package meant to bail-out distressed farmers of Vidarbha. ”The chief minister is painting a rosy picture which is quite contrary to reality,” Tiwari claimed. Tiwari also alleged that the delay on part of the government in complete loan waiver for Vidarbha farmers ― as proposed by both the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar and the chief minister ― was one of the prime reasons driving distressed farmers to take the extreme step. ”On its part, the Centre and the Maharashtra government, in principle, agreed to give Rs 1,500 per hectare relief up to a maximum of five hectare to all cotton growers, yet there has been a delay in execution of the decision. Moreover the aid is not even reaching the farmers,” Tiwari alleged. The state government had recently appointed another panel, headed by economist Narendra Jadhav, to study reasons for Vidarbha farmers’ suicides. Prior to the appointment of Jadhav committee, the government had appointed seven fact finding panels to study Vidarbha farm suicides. The panel would also review the impact of prime minister’s Rs 3,750-crore relief package announced last year for the six farmers’ suicide-hit districts of Vidarbha. ”If the government was serious to save Vidarbha’s dying farmers then they should act fast to provide relief to over 3 million dying farmers of Vidarbha,” Tiwari said while reacting over the appointment of another probe panel on Vidarbha farm suicides. ”Loan waiver is a part of the relief but not a complete solution to Vidarbha agrarian crisis. The issues related to the cotton price and sustainable farming, along with Food Crop Promotion Programme has to be implemented,” Tiwari added.

farmers in Gujarat state are going the Vidarbha way.

Farmer suicides: Vidarbha region needs a permanent solution

PTI reports-official figures 3705 farmers in Vidarbha region have committed suicides since Jan 1, 2001- Year 2007 saw 980 farmers end their lives till October 30, 2007

8th panel to study vidarbha farmer suicides- The Times of India -Breaking news,

TEN MORE FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA IN LAST TWO DAYS:VJAS URGED LOAN WAIVER AND RESTORATION OF COTTON PRICE TO STOP VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES.

VIDARBHA  JANANDOLAN  SAMITI

11, Trisaran Society, In front of Somalwar School, Khamla, Nagpur – 440 025

Tel No. (0712) 2282457 Mob No. 9422108846 kishortiwari@gmail.com

===================================================================

 

Ref : VJAS/relief package-07     PRESSS-NOTE              24^th October, 2007

 

TEN MORE FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA IN LAST TWO DAYS:VJAS URGED LOAN WAIVER AND RESTORATION OF COTTON PRICE TO STOP VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES.

 

 Nagpur-24^th ootober,2007

 

This year dasara-vijaya dashami festival has been too bad for vidarbha farmers as it was in the year 2005-  & 2006 when reports of 10 more farmers suicides reported in last two days ,they are

 

1.VISHAWAS ERANI OF GRAMTAPOWAN IN WASHIM

2.TAMMIKHAN PATHAN OF KALGAWAN IN AMRAVATI

3.RAGHUNATH VAIWHARE OF PATHARDI IN AKOLA

4.BHIMRAO ADE OF SAKHARA IN YAVATMAL

5.SALIMNKHAN PATHAN OF PANCHGAWAN IN AKOLA

6.DEVRAO WAKADE OF SHEGOAN IN CHANDRAPUR

7.GAJANAN MADANKAR OF TAWAGI IN BHANDARA

8.DILIP VAIDYA OF SAONER IN AMARAVATI

9.MANIK DHANGAR OF DOMRUL IN BULDHANA

10.RAMCHANDRA INGOLE OF ENUKUNI IN NAGPUR

 

taking the figure of farm suicides vidarbha as per official record is 1740 since prime relief package announcement  moreover in 2007 official figure of farm suicides in six district of vidarbha is reaching 1000 mark that’s 942,here is official vidarbha farm suicides table 

 

MONTHS-2006	FARM SUICIDES	MONTHS-2007	FARM SUICIDES
JULY	109	JANUARY	99
AUGUST	120	FEBRUARY	107
SEPTEMBER	156	MARCH	113
OCTOBER	160	APRIL	97
NOVEMBER	125	MAY	102
DECEMBER	127	JUNE	82
		JULY	75
		AUGUST	95
		SEPTEMBER	106
		OCTOBER	67
TOTAL	797		942

 

Presently in Mumbai mantralaya all babus are busy to give fresh recommendations to PMO ,New Delhi so that existing vidarbha relief package is modified as it has been hoax that has triggered more farm suicides rather than stopping it  but as per media reports Maharashtra Govt. is once again strongly recommending same interest waiver on the overdue crop loan of cotton farmers of west vidarbha not the pending debt of 3 million distressed farmers ,kishor tiwari of vidarbha jan andolan samiti(VJAS) has termed this move as rehabilitation process dying cooperative banks controlled by politicians in power rather than saving dying west vidarbha cotton farmers ,tiwari added.

 

VJAS has welcomed union agriculture minister sharad pawar’s complete U turn on farm loan waiver when he declared that it’s only relief that can addaress the vidarbha agrarian crisis but same man has apposed the loan waiver when Indian prime minister was ready to give on 1^st july 2006 ,kishor tiwari asked.”it is not too late,loan waiver is part of relief but not the complete solution to vidarbha agrarian crisis the issues releted to the cotton price and sustainable farming along with  food crop promotion programme  has to be implemented urgently ,kishor tiwari added.

Presently in stead of giving protection to the cotton crop as it is being given to sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra ,Maharashtra Govt. is planning to promote corporate farming is the cotton belt of west vidarbha ,this is disaster step that to introduce MNC in the agriculture in the name of relief to dying farmers, American MNC’s are mostly responsible for vidarbha agrarian crisis moreover companies like Monsanto are tha main killer of cotton farmers hence we will not allow this large scale auction of farmers land to corporate houses in the name of relief operation, kishor tiwari declared.

 

After receiving drum beating remark that present methodologies failed to stop on going vidarbha farmers suicides in order to stop farm suicide chief secretary of Maharashtra has asked same corrupt officers to suggest new mythologies in relief package. “it is ridiculous to consult the same non functional culprits for making new changes in relief package to stop vidarbha farmers ,in fact now farmers should be consulted that what are the hardships that should be addressed so that  distress is relieved and farm suicides are stopped” kishor tiwari local farm activist  urged the mahrashtra chief minister vilasrao deshmukh.

Restoration of advance bonus that price to raw cotton @2700/- per quintal and complete loan waiver are the main issues other than providing food security ,health care, free education and rural employments needs immediate govt. attention,kishor tiwari added.

Please arrange to publish this press note

 

Thanking you,

 

Yours faithfully,

 

For VIDARBHA JANANDOLAN SAMITI

 

 

KISHORE TIWARI

PRESIDENT.

kishortiwari@gmail.com

contact-09422108846

 

VJAS moves HC to hike cotton MSP- Times of India

	The Times of India -Breaking news, views. reviews, cricket from across India

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VJAS moves HC to hike cotton MSP 21 Oct 2007, 0209 hrs IST,Vaibhav Ganjapure,TNN SMS NEWS to 58888 for latest updates NAGPUR: For probably the first time Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court will hear arguments on an application to hike prices of a crop. The matter is likely to come up before the division bench comprising justices Dilip Sinha and Bhushan Dharmadhikari on Tuesday. The criminal application was filed by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari, who added this issue to his earlier petition filed in public interest, charging the state government of ignoring farmers community that led them to take the extreme step of suicide. Firdos Mirza and Vinod Tiwari are the counsels for the petitioner. The petitioner claimed that the government failure to increase ‘minimum support prices’ (MSP) of cotton to a substantial level has led cotton-growers to suffer severe losses. Due to the advent of BT cotton variety (H4), farmers have to invest more, as the new variety consumes more water, destroys quality soil and is costly. The MSP of all major crops including wheat, barley, gram and masoor has been increased substantially. However, the MSP of cotton in 1997-98 – Rs 1,330 for normal cotton and Rs 1,530 for BT cotton – was increased to Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,030 in 2007-08. Percentage-wise, the MSP of cotton has been increased by just 24.63%, while even tobacco has seeb an increase of 37.5% and soyabean a hike of 28.5% in the last decade. If the increase in MSP of the last three years is taken into account, then it is 33.33% for wheat, but only 1.69% for normal cotton and just 2.01% for BT cotton. According to the petitioner, cotton-growers in Vidarbha are the sufferers of extremely high costs of production as well as non-remunerative support prices fixed by the CACP. As a result, cotton-cultivating farmers have been compelled to commit suicide due to depression and economic crisis. Moreover, agricultur as a profession has become economically unviable.

Vidarbha plan: Staff crunch casts shadow-Prafulla Marpakwar -TIMES-INDIANN

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But just a day later, doubts cropped up over effective implementation of the ambitious action plan owing to shortage of manpower. Senior cabinet members and top bureaucrats on Tuesday admitted that considering the limited staff strength, it was difficult to implement the multi-crore projects. “We have adequate funds, but because of the shortage of manpower, we have not been able to execute the projects in a time-bound manner,’’ a senior official told TOI. By and large, the departments of agriculture, soil conservation, irrigation, public works, animal husbandry, dairy development, public health, cooperation, tribal development and forest are directly or indirectly responsible for execution of the projects drafted for tackling the unprecedented agrarian crisis, which has claimed the lives of an estimated 600 farmers in the current year. Following a quick survey of these departments, particularly on the status of manpower, it was found that at least 40-50% of the total number of posts had been lying vacant for a period ranging between five and 10 years. In the most sensitive revenue department (Amravati), it was found that of the 1,002 posts, 117 had no occupants. In the worst-affected Yeotmal district, 125 of the 995 posts were vacant. In Buldhana (107 of 1,296), Washim (58 of 692) and Akola (59 of 515) districts, too, the situation was more or less similar. “The revenue department is entrusted with the task of conducting a survey of the farmers, preparing panchnamas and granting financial assistance to farmers in distress. In the absence of manpower, even if funds are sanctioned, there is inordinate delay in disbursement of the same,’’ the official said. Agriculture is another key department that faces a manpower shortage—of the 3,646 posts, at least 1,000 are lying vacant. Also, in the cooperation department, 156 of the 555 posts are vacant. In the irrigation department—responsible for implementing projects worth Rs 2,700 crore—more than 1,415 of the 5,278 posts are waiting to be occupied. In the animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries departments, sanctioned Rs 135 crore—particularly to tackle the agrarian crisis—251 of the 994 posts are vacant. Also, in the state-run Maharashtra power distribution company, more than 1,300 of the 8,505 posts are vacant. For a long time, no IAS officer was prepared to take up the post of Amravati divisional commissioner. The day they were posted, instead of taking up the assignment, they knocked the doors of the chief minister. The low-profile Sudhir Kumar Goyal was probably the first bureaucrat to accept the challenge. “Goyal was the first to bring the grassroots situation to the notice of the government. He was also instrumental in drafting a new action plan to tackle the agrarian crisis,’’ the official said. jSignificantly, it has now been found that even those hailing from Vidarbha are reluctant to take up assignments there. “All are keen to get posted in western Maharashtra for obvious reasons,’’ he said, adding that it was high time the government took note of the confidential records of the errant employees. prafulla.marpakwar@timesgroup.com

 

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