MPCC to hold farmers’ total loan waiver agitation across Maharashtra
The present government is anti-farmers and anti-poor says Manikrao Thakre
Congress party will not allow both the Houses in the Parliament to function till their demands are met
Nagpur.
The plight of farmers in many places in Vidarbha is deplorable. The promised compensation never reaches them even after many months of the package being declared by ministers. In order to allay the grievances and while taking-up the issue of the farmers’ suicide, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to launch an agitation to demand total loan waiver (Sampoorna Karz Mukti Andolan).
While addressing a press meet organized on June 24, 2015, Former Chief of Pradesh Congress Committee Manikrao Thakre said that the plight of farmers in Maharashtra is really deplorable. Either drought hits the land or the crops gets destroyed by untimely rains, hailstorm or heavy rains.
Manikrao Thakre claimed Maharashtra is one of the States that has experienced severe agrarian crisis and has witnessed many farmer suicides this year. With the highest number of farmer suicides recorded in the year 2013-14, Maharashtra continues to paint a dismal picture on the agrarian front with over 3,000 farmers taking their lives.
The Vidarbha and Marathwada regions of the state, is once again considered as the epicenter of farmers’ suicide in the country claimed Manikrao Thakre. However, the government has not taken serious cognizance of the issue. This is proved by the fact that the government has failed to fulfill its promises or compensation or assurances.
Manikrao Thakre related about how a farmer’s widow committed suicide barely 100 days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured of help.
He claimed that the farmer’s 55-year-old widow committed suicide in Yavatmal district’s Pimpri Buti village, barely 100 days (on June 10) after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met her and assured of his government’s support. Shanta Tajane’s husband had committed suicide four years ago and she had a debt of Rs 1 lakh. On May 3, 2015 Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had visited the widow while he toured Ratchandana, Ghorkhindi and Pimpri Buti villages in Yavatmal district. Manikrao Thakre claimed that the CM had stayed overnight in this village.
After the visit and the assurance of the CM, not only government official or other minister bothered to visit the village or to redress the woes of the farmer’s widow.
Manikrao Thakre added that these are the days when ideally farmers would be engaged in sowing, however, the banks are not giving the famers loans. The private money-lenders too are not coming forward to lend money for buying seeds. This is because the government has not fulfilled its assurance to waive farmers’ loan nor has any money lender received any amount to forfeit the loan that was given by them to the famers claimed Manikrao Thakre.
Farmers feel severely duped
Therefore taking up this issue of farmers’ suicide and to help them get their loans waivered, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee led by former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan will launch an agitation to demand a total farmers’ loan waiver (Sampoorna Karz Mukti Andolan). This agitation will start from a spot called Akola Bazaar in Yavatmal on June 27, 2015 and will be taken up all over Maharashtra. They will also be extending a help to the widows of the farmers.
While driving his point, Manikrao Thakre claimed that the present government in the centre and state is anti-farmers. Whether it is the issue of Land acquisition or the compensation package or even loan waivers, they have displayed in more than one way that they are anti-farmers and anti poor people.
Manikrao Thakre claimed that all Congress Party office-bearers, workers and activists will come together and take active part in the Sampoorna Karz Mukti Andolan.
After the press meet, while answering the query raised by a media personnel who while correcting the claim of Manikrao Thakre said that the widow did get an aid of Rs 1 lakh, out of which Rs 30,000 was given immediately in cash while Rs 70,000 were deposited in her bank account. She was not able to withdraw this cash since she was not guided on formalities to do so. So, after getting frustrated, she ended her life, Manikrao Thakre said that had the officials or ministers visited her, they would have helped her withdraw the Rs 70,000 kept in the bank.
While answering to another query that banks are giving loans, Manikrao Thakre claimed that the loans given by Nationalized Banks only constitutes 30%, the remaining are given by private or cooperative banks.
Manikrao Thakre vehemently added that Congress Party will not allow the functioning in both the Houses of Parliament till their demands of a total waiver of farmers’ loan is agreed upon by the ruling party.
Stand on Vinod Tawde’s education
While answering to their stand on the issue of the Maharashtra State Education Minister Vinod Tawde, Manikrao Thakre said that Maharashtra State Education Minister Vinod Tawde received his electronics engineering degree from an University which is not recognized by any state or central nodal body. Hence, he should either resign from his post or his party should shift him and allocate some-other portfolio. He also claimed that we strongly decry such practices by the present government.
