Nagpur: Vidarbha farmer activists have sought an appointment with Congress President Sonia Gandhi to apprise her about the problems being faced by agriculturists in the region in Eastern Maharashtra. We have sought an appointment with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to explain the problems being faced by farmers in Vidarbha. But since Parliament is in session, she was yet to give us an appointment, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) President Kishor Tiwari said in a statement here today.
Government policies are responsible for the increasing number of farmer suicides across the country. Immediate Government intervention was needed to provide succour to them, said Tiwari, whose advocacy group has been documenting farmer suicides in Vidarbha, a cotton belt. Agriculture policies being pursued by Maharashtra Government are equally "absurd", forcing farmers to commit suicide, he maintained. "The policies promote wrong cultivation practices in rain-fed areas."
"Vidarbha farmers are in urgent need of help because of crop failure and Government should provide relief without delay. There is no rationale now for raising cotton MSP as small and needy farmers have already sold 50 per cent of their produce," Tiwari said.
"Therefore, a cash subsidy of Rs 20,000 per hectare for cotton and Rs 15,000 for soya be paid to farmers to compensate for the crop loss this year," he added. PTI