By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: While Maharashtra Government is claiming that Vidarbha agrarian crisis is over and farmers suicides have abated, nine more cotton growing farmers’ suicides were reported in last two days taking the total toll to 1202 this year.
Those who reportedly committed suicides include: Bhagwan Diware, Sanjay Bajode, Achuyatrao Pachrane & Habibkhan Nurkhan (all four in Buldhana district); Sandeep Nirpase & Bhudhaji Gaikwad (both in Yavatmal district); Sunil Khond & Rajesh Mankar (both in Akola district) and Shankar Pawankar in Bhandara district.
According to a Press release issued by Nagpur-based Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), today most of the cotton growing farmers in the Vidarbha region are debt trapped facing health problems coupled with food starvation. However, the relief aid which was declared and partially distributed in the year 2006 has been stopped due to lack of funds resulting 1202 suicides in the current year which is coming to a close. The official farm suicides figure till December 28th is as follows: –
|
MONTHS-2007 |
FARM SUICIDES |
|
JANUARY |
99 |
|
FEBRUARY |
107 |
|
MARCH |
113 |
|
APRIL |
97 |
|
MAY |
102 |
|
JUNE |
82 |
|
JULY |
75 |
|
AUGUST |
95 |
|
SEPTEMBER |
113 |
|
OCTOBER |
109 |
|
NOVEMBER |
106 |
|
DECEMBER |
104 |
|
TOTAL |
1202 |
Meanwhile, the Press release said that the complete apathy of Maharashtra Government towards the ongoing Vidarbha farm suicides is well known to the world but it has become much more serious when Prime Minister Office turned a blind eye towards the agrarian crisis by stopping it’s Prime Minister Relief Fund, (PMRF), aid to the distressed farmers. The relief was promised by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 1st July 2006 when relief package of Rs. 3750 crore was announced. It was declared that collector of each six district will receive Rs. 50 lakhs as special grant directly so that respective collector can give it to needy dying cotton farmers of Vidarbha.
Tiwari said in year 2006 PMRF money was made available to all six collectors of suicides prone districts but this year 2007 has been dry as now apathy of PMO towards Vidarbha agrarian crisis started playing truant as letters of collectors asking for more money for relief aid from PMRF are being thrown allegedly into dustbins. This has resulted in maximum 1202 farm suicides in the year 2007.
PATHETIC OFFICIAL DATA OF DYINGLAND OF VIDARBHA
AS PER GOVT. SURVEY DATED 15.06.2006
|
Type of problem and distress |
Maximum distress level-A |
Moderate distress level -B |
Farmer's with successive crop failure |
Farmers's with critical healthcare problem |
Farmer's with marriageable Daughter's tension |
Farmers under bank debt |
|
Number of farm families |
4,34,291 |
9,14,708 |
12,26,559 |
106898 |
3,06,362 |
11,54,344 |
Dying cotton farmers were expecting announcement of complete loan waiver and Rs. 2000 per hector compensation as indicated by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. However, decision to that effect has been kept pending even though daily three to four farm suicides are still being reported, Tiwari added.
VJAS has urged the Maharashtra Government to provide food security, health security and employment opportunities to dying west Vidarbha farmers as at the ground level minimum food, medicine, social system support is missing. The total apathy of the administration has made the condition of rural Vidarbha so pathetic due to non-serious attitude towards agrarian crisis that it has resulted the relief, that was declared a year back, not reaching the dying farmers after lapse of one year.
It is need of the hour to provide food security, health care to minimum 4.34 lakhs farm families who have been identified by the administration as farmers in deep distress, Tiwari added. ([email protected])