By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: As the Maharashtra state Government was celebrating it’s 3rd anniversary of coming to power and the state Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was claiming all-round successes and painting rosy picture of Vidarbha relief package, ten more distressed cotton growing farmers committed suicide in last 48 hours.
The farmers who committed suicides include: Ramkisan Gautre, Thawara Rathode & Kisan Rathode (all three from Yavatmal), Kishor Kaitwar & Sanjay Dhakare (both from Akola), Yashwant Mate in Bhandara, Maroti Raut in Gadchiroli, Rajendra Godkhande in Wardha, Rangrao Bawane in Amravati and Parasram Chavan in Buldhana.The total toll of the farm suicides this year since January in six districts of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state is now 979, thereby nearly touching the 1000 mark. The official Vidarbha farm suicides table is as follows:-
|
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 |
113 |
|
|
|
October |
96 |
|
Total |
797 |
|
979 |
Meanwhile, after Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has moved complete loan waiver as part of distress relieving measure of million of dying Vidarbha farmers, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has also made it clear that they are urging the Central Government for complete loan waiver to Vidarbha cotton farmers. However, the delay in processing the government official nod and announcement is resulting in daily three to four farm suicides. The Maharashtra Government has already taken the decision in principle to give Rs.1500 per hector to maximum to five hector relief aid to all cotton growers but "babus" (clerical staff) in the State secretariat "Mantralaya" are delaying that decision too.
Kishor Tiwari, president of Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), said in a press release, while reacting on another probe panel on Vidarbha farm suicide crisis, that if the government is serious to save Vidarbha dying farmers then they should act fast, . "Loan waiver is 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. ([email protected])