VIDARBHA FARMERS SUICIDE-9422108846

It’s “black Diwali” for Rural Vidarbha as five farmers suicides reported in last 72 hours.

Nagpur-20^th October 2009

The drought and bt.cotton failure due to pest epidemic due to attack of white fly, aphids ,jessids, thriph ,mealy bug means all types of sucking pest along with deadly layla (redning of leaves) attack ,fibe innocent bt. Cotton growers killed themselves at the time of diwali ,according to reports reaching late,they are

1.Mahadev Sonpanje in Nerad (Yavatmal)

2.Poshatti Gharekar in Sayatkharda (Yavatmal)

3.Babusingh Rathode in Aamni (Yavatmal)

4.Sukhadeo Thawas in Majra(Chandrapur)

5.Satish Aawari in Sawali(Chandrapur)

“the pest epidemic is damaging the cotton crop and there is no NREGA work in the vidarbha where as NRHM and PDS schemes is collapsed resulting farmers and farm workers suicides.Ministers and officers are till busy in election and nobody is there to look at these dying farm community of west vidarbha where as some of lower level officers are denying the basic relief in the name of moral code of conduct being enforced ,it’s much disturbing to see on going political drama in the mist of this gloom” tiwari said

‘On cotton crop now there is deadly layla (redning of leaves) attack in addition to white fly, aphids ,jessids, thriph ,mealy bug means all types of sucking pest attack has come ,it means all over’ Prem chavan of village Maregaon(son) in kelapur –yavatmal informed .

“In the mega advertisement of bt.cotton seed ,farmers are told that Cotton plants are having Drought tolerance and,the Genetically Engineered Bacillus Thuringenesis that cotton seed has capacity to produce antibiotic resistance to pest attack resulting in lower use of contact and non contact type pesticide and insecticide but contrary to it’s claim now days not only inbuilt toxin failed but there is no response to all pesticide and insecticide”,informed Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti in press note .

Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti(VJAS) has urged administration to provide immediate aid to assistance to these cotton farmers who are already disturbed due huge debt and economic crisis due to on going agrarian crisis in the region . “this pest epidemic on standing cotton crop will spread distress and farm suicide spiral of West Vidarbha to in near by Marathwada,Khandesh,North Mahrashtra and East Vidarbha hence urgent attention is needed to save million of dying farmers of Maharashtra” Tiwari added

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