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'Vidarbha Cotton farmers excluded from Relief Package'
TNN, Dec 24, 2010, 04.01am ISTRead more: 'Cotton farmers excluded from relief package' - The Times of Indiahttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Cotton-farmers-excluded-from-relief-package/articleshow/7153606.cms#ixzz1900wVtU9
YAVATMAL: "The chief minister's winter session relief package of Rs 1,000 crore announced at Nagpur to help farmers hit by the wet famine across the state would not help any Vidarbha farmers. At the most 5% farmers may get financial aid," alleged Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishor Tiwari on Thursday.
He also announced that Vidarbha farmers will launch an indefinite protest stir from December 29 against their deliberate exclusion from the package benefits.
The local administration machinery had carried out an on the spot survey to ascertain the actual damage caused to cotton and soyabean crops in Western Vidarbha districts, which are known for farmers suicides. However, the administration has adopted the faulty orthodox method of 'Anewari system' and confirmed that there was great crop damage in the region due to unseasonal rain.
The farmers have suffered heavy losses due to the crop damage and the rocketing production and labour costs. However, the government has not considered this vital factor and hence the Vidarbha farmers are almost excluded from the benefits of the recent package.
Tiwari said that a dharna would be held on December 29 followed by road blockades, and if demands are not met by such peaceful agitation they would opt for fast unto death agitation.
"The cotton crop failure in Maharashtra is a very serious issue, but the recent announcement by the CM and his Rs 1,000 crore bailout package have not covered cotton farmers of Vidarbha. We have approached the chief minister, who says he is keen to bring Maharashtra agrarian economy on track and wants to stop the on going cotton farmers suicides. We have promised all help to the Maharashtra chief minister if he is really serious about addressing the issue of mass suicide of farming community as cotton farmers economic crisis is policy driven and not nature driven," Tiwari added.
He also announced that Vidarbha farmers will launch an indefinite protest stir from December 29 against their deliberate exclusion from the package benefits.
The local administration machinery had carried out an on the spot survey to ascertain the actual damage caused to cotton and soyabean crops in Western Vidarbha districts, which are known for farmers suicides. However, the administration has adopted the faulty orthodox method of 'Anewari system' and confirmed that there was great crop damage in the region due to unseasonal rain.
| District | Crop damaged in hector as per official survey of |
| Chandrapur | 1,26,000 |
| | 93,000 |
| Yavatmal | 85,000 |
| Wardha | 58,000 |
| | 53,000 |
| Gadchiroli | 47,000 |
| Bhandara | 34,000 |
| Amaravti | 29,000 |
| Buldhana | 11,000 |
| Washim | 12,000 |
| Gondia | 13,000 |
| Total | 5,50,000 Hector |
The farmers have suffered heavy losses due to the crop damage and the rocketing production and labour costs. However, the government has not considered this vital factor and hence the Vidarbha farmers are almost excluded from the benefits of the recent package.
Tiwari said that a dharna would be held on December 29 followed by road blockades, and if demands are not met by such peaceful agitation they would opt for fast unto death agitation.
"The cotton crop failure in Maharashtra is a very serious issue, but the recent announcement by the CM and his Rs 1,000 crore bailout package have not covered cotton farmers of Vidarbha. We have approached the chief minister, who says he is keen to bring Maharashtra agrarian economy on track and wants to stop the on going cotton farmers suicides. We have promised all help to the Maharashtra chief minister if he is really serious about addressing the issue of mass suicide of farming community as cotton farmers economic crisis is policy driven and not nature driven," Tiwari added.
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