New Food Security Bill likely to increase food rate by 30% but may cut 35% monthly allocation of more than 32 million poor families under existing Antyodaya scheme-VJAS

NAGPUR-8th Jul 2009,

** "SCHEME FOR POOR WITHOUT ANY BUDGETARY PROVISION IS MOCKERY OF POORS'

The government announcement on Monday that it will soon introduce a Bill to enact a Food Security law that will provide 25 kg of rice and/or wheat at Rs 3 to each family below the poverty line is likely increase food rate by 30% and may cut 35% monthly allocation of more than 32 million poor families under existing Antyodaya scheme if proposed bill for food security is passed in the parliament as per announcement ,VJAS expressed it's fear in letter to union PDS minister sharad pawar.

Afetr Hon,ble President Pratibha Patil had, on June 4, said a National Food Security Act would be formulated whereby each BPL family would be entitled by law to get 25 kg of rice or wheat per month at Rs 3 a kg, a promise made by the Congress before general elections 2009 ,It was expected that Govt. will start new scheme to poor as per prez. speech but while presenting the Union Budget 2009-10, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said, with out giving any fund as this scheme needs more than Rs.50,000 crore allocation that the Bill will soon be introduced after consultation with different stakeholders.and it was told that so called draft Food Security Bill will be put up on the website of the ministry of food and public distribution for public debate on this issue.
It's mare time consuming as BPL list is ready and at present, the Centre is providing 35 kg of rice or wheat per month to each BPL family. Wheat is supplied at Rs 4.15 per kg while rice at Rs 5.65 a kg to over four crore families living below the poverty line.now if new food security bill is likely to reduce the monthly allocation by 10 k.g. and all all poorest of poor under existing BPL list are also likely to pay @ of Rs.3 kg in place of Rs.2 kg hence new food security bill may turn in food insecurity bill ,VJAS leader kishore tiwari added.

The Centre has enough foodgrain in its buffer stock to implement the control order 2001 as per apex court order in right to food petition of h.d.dua but till date state has failed to adress serious issue of poverty hunger when there is the bumper foodgrain output and higher minimum support prices and the government has procured a record of over 250 lakh tonnes of wheat and over 300 lakh tonnes of rice till July 3 this marketing season.

VJAS has asked union PDS minister sharad pawar to take out some time from his busy schedules of cricket association elections to clear basic doubts about proposed New Food Security Bill , VJAS urged.

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Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 10:24 PM

High expectation from task force for vidarbha-Hindustantimes Reports

Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 11:48 AM

Indian Budget- VJAS reaction published by New York Times,DNA,Times of India and Day after India

Indian Budget- The New York Times Reports

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July 7, 2009

India to Raise Spending and Cut Taxes

By VIKAS BAJAJ and HEATHER TIMMONS

***

Many analysts had hoped that the government would reduce various subsidies for fuel, food, fertilizers and other products. Mr. Mukherjee said the government would move to reduce and overhaul fertilizer subsidies so that the money would go directly to farmers, rather than fertilizer makers.

“This may help farmers if implemented properly,” said Kishore Tiwari, a farmer and advocate in a region where many farmers have committed suicide in recent years because of financial pressures. “There are a lot of farmer friendly announcements but it is to be seen how they are implemented.”

***

NEW DELHI — India’s finance minister introduced a budget on Monday aimed at stimulating the economy through increased government spending and tax breaks. But the plan disappointed many foreign investors, especially after the Congress Party’s re-election victory in May raised hopes that more market-friendly economic policies might be at hand.

The new budget was largely silent on foreign investment and the sale of shares in state-owned companies — areas in which investors had been anticipating significant changes.

The budget speech usually sets the tone for the Indian government’s economic policies for the coming year.

The stock market, which had rallied in recent weeks on expectations of major financial reforms, tumbled as the finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, spoke to Parliament, and it continued falling afterward. The S.& P. CNX Nifty stock index closed down 5.8 percent. The Indian rupee depreciated 1.2 percent, trading at 48.48 against the dollar.

“Change will be gradual and incremental; don’t expect any radical, dramatic movements,” said Subir Gokarn, chief economist at Standard & Poor’s Asia-Pacific, referring to the Congress Party’s likely policies.

True to the Congress Party’s focus on the common man, Mr. Mukherjee spent most of his 90-minute speech discussing government programs for the poor, like a rural employment program guaranteeing 100 days of work a year to each indigent family. The government will increase spending by 144 percent on that project, to 391 billion rupees ($8.1 billion) this fiscal year.

Mr. Mukherjee said the government would return India’s economic growth rate to 9 percent, but he said it would do so in a “more inclusive” manner. He set a goal of cutting in half the percentage of the population that is poor within five years. The government estimates that 27.5 percent of Indians were poor in 2005, the latest year for which data is available. (India classifies people as poor if they consume less than a certain number of calories a day.)

“I am sensitive to the great challenge of rising expectations of a young India,” Mr. Mukherjee said. “It reflects a population that is restless, yet engaged and is ready to seize the opportunities that it is presented with. There are new and powerful reasons for us to create, facilitate and sustain those opportunities.”

Over all, government spending will increase 36 percent and the deficit for the 2009-10 fiscal year will reach an estimated 6.8 percent of gross domestic product, up from an estimated 6.2 percent last year. Rating firms had warned that they might reduce India’s credit rating to junk status if its deficit rose too much, but they did not make any changes Monday.

While India has withstood the global economic crisis better than the United States, Europe and export-dependent emerging markets, its economy has slowed from more than 9 percent growth in recent years to 6.7 percent in the year that ended March 31.

To resume faster growth, economists say the country will need big doses of investment from businesses and the government. The financial crisis has significantly slowed foreign investment, and the government has struggled to improve the country’s poor infrastructure because of entrenched corruption, bureaucracy and political meddling. The Planning Commission has said India needs to spend $500 billion by 2012, a target few analysts expect it to meet.

Mr. Mukherjee said the Congress Party planned to increase infrastructure spending to 9 percent of G.D.P. by 2014. India now spends about 6 percent of its G.D.P. on roads, ports, airports and similar facilities, compared with about 9 percent in China.

Several executives welcomed the focus on infrastructure and the poor but said the government had to show that it could make good on its promises. “The delivery has to happen with alacrity,” said Bharat Wakhlu, resident director for the Tata Group in New Delhi.

There was more disappointment among multinational companies, foreign investors and overseas universities who were hoping for a relaxation of investment limits in banking, retail, education and other areas.

Among those limits, foreign retailers who sell just one brand need to find a joint venture partner to sell products in India. Retail chains that sell more than one brand, like Wal-Mart Stores, are limited to setting up wholesale stores in India, which can sell to shopkeepers or restaurants but not directly to consumers. And foreign life insurance companies are restricted to owning 26 percent of Indian life insurance firms.

The new budget provided “nothing specific at all” for foreign investors, said Sanjay Nayar, chief executive of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in India and a former head of Citibank’s Indian operation.

Rather than talk about foreign investment, Mr. Mukherjee noted how well big Indian banks had performed in the current economic crisis thanks to their nationalization 40 years ago by Indira Gandhi, the prime minister at the time.

“Her approach continues to be our inspiration,” said Mr. Mukherjee, who was finance minister for three years under Mrs. Gandhi in the 1980s. (He added that the government would sell minority stakes in nonfinancial state-owned companies, raising a modest $230 million.)

Suhel Seth, a marketing executive and trustee of the Indian Brand Equity Foundation, a public-private partnership between the government and Indian industries that aims to burnish the country’s image abroad, said the speech “tells every foreign institutional investor that India is back in the 1960s.”

The government has proposed a range of tax incentives like raising exemptions for the elderly and women; eliminating a fringe-benefits tax that companies pay on employee perks; and lowering taxes on goods and services bought by exporters, construction companies and technology firms.

Many analysts had hoped that the government would reduce various subsidies for fuel, food, fertilizers and other products. Mr. Mukherjee said the government would move to reduce and overhaul fertilizer subsidies so that the money would go directly to farmers, rather than fertilizer makers.

“This may help farmers if implemented properly,” said Kishore Tiwari, a farmer and advocate in a region where many farmers have committed suicide in recent years because of financial pressures. “There are a lot of farmer friendly announcements but it is to be seen how they are implemented.”

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Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE

Seeking aid, state gets a task force-Shubhangi Khapre / DNA

Seeking aid, state gets a task force

Shubhangi Khapre / DNA
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 2:36 IST
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_seeking-aid-state-gets-a-task-force_1271709

Mumbai: Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's decision to constitute a task force to ascertain the number of farmers not covered in the loan waiver package came as a blow to the Congress-led Democratic Front (DF) government in the state.
Another committee probing the cause of farmers' plight would expose the inept functioning of the government. The state cabinet was expecting more financial aid instead. A senior cabinet minister said, "Instead of giving financial assistance to the state to sustain the farmers' package, the Centre seems to be more keen to scrutinise the administrative affairs of the DF government." What he stopped short of saying was that the Centre's study would bring to light how, in spite of the bailout package, private moneylenders continue to exploit the hapless farmers.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan said, "Sensing that the Centre's package did not reach all, we have already initiated the process of loan waiver with a Rs6,208-crore package. It will benefit 40 lakh farmers in the state." The statistics though look more impressive on paper than in reality.

Kishore Tiwari, an activist fighting for the farmers, said "Both Centre and state may have released huge packages, but none has translated into relief for the distressed farmers. They are still committing suicide in the cotton growing belt." A senior secretary in state agriculture department said, "Of the total Rs71,000 crore loan waiver, the state share was around Rs14,000 crore. The maximum benefit went to western Maharashtra -- Rs 7,000 crore. The distressed Vidarbha could only avail Rs2,000 crore."

Economic expert Devendra Fadnavis, who is a BJP MLA, said, "The task force is just an eyewash. From Vaidyanathan to Jadhav committee, we already have half a dozen study on the farmers' plight in Maharashtra. Why can't the government streamline the delivery system instead of promising package on papers." He blamed Centre for the continued exploitation by money lenders. "The state can crack down on them only after the money lenders Bill is passed in Parliament."

Monday, July 6, 2009

Farm leaders hail budget-Times of India

Printed from

Farm leaders hail budget 7 Jul 2009, 0349 hrs IST, team toi NAGPUR: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee's budget announcement of a task force to find a way out for farmers reeling under debts taken from private moneylenders has brought new hope to the distressed farmers of the suicide-hit Vidarbha region. Though welcoming the massive allocation of funds for farm credit, rural health mission and rural housing, farm leaders say all now depends on the delivery system, which is known to be extremely weak and leaky. "A large number of families stand to gain, since those who had borrowed from moneylenders were not eligible for any loan waiver or compensation in case of farmer's suicide. The task force can suggest remedial measures," said farm leader Vijay Jawandhiya of Wardha. "However, many announcements in the Union budget appear cosmetic and may benefit farmers only if the schemes are properly implemented." Jawandhiya also said that the six-month extension granted for availing one-time settlement under the Centre's loan waiver scheme was inadequate, and it should have been a one-year extension. "The harvest season is more than six months away, how can the farmer make 25% upfront payment before harvest to avail the relief," asked Jawandhiya. Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishore Tiwari termed the Union budget as a mixed bag. While appreciating a few points, he said, "There's nothing special for distressed farmers of rain-fed Vidarbha region, nor was there an effort to promote food crops," said Tiwari. "The issue of moneylenders has been addressed for the first time. A large number of farmers ended their lives as they were unable to bear the fleecing interest rates charged by the village 'sahukar', who humiliated the borrower or took over the land in lieu of the unpaid loans. Also, such farmers' suicides were not eligible for the Rs 1 lakh government compensation," explained Tiwari. State BJP president Nitin Gadkari said there was nothing in the Union budget for the farmers. "With agriculture in dire straits, what was needed was a separate budget for the sector," he said, "but beyond hollow promises like the task force on moneylenders the budget is a big let down." "It may not be a please-all budget. But under the given circumstances - a looming slowdown and fall in tax revenues - Pranab Mukherjee has done a satisfactory job of fulfilling election promises," said former minister and veteran Congress leader Ranjit Deshmukh. "An opportunity to attract global investment after the slowdown in developed countries has been squandered away by the Union finance minister," said city BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis. "For the first time after 1990, the high deficit of 6.8% is worrisome and may derail the country's economy."

Publication: Times of India Mumbai;

Date: Jul 7, 2009;

Section: For Mumbai;

Page: 17

HELPING HAND FOR VIDARBHA
UPA pill for distressed farmers

Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN

Mumbai: The UPA government’s decision to set up a special task force to control the menace of private moneylenders, extend the deadline for the one-time-settlement (OTS) of loans and grant the fertiliser subsidy directly to farmers should go a long way towards resolving the agrarian crisis in the Vidarbha region.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said that the government will set up a task force exclusively for Maharashtra to draft an action plan to curb the menace of private moneylenders. If veteran farmer leader Kishore Tiwari is to be believed, then more than 20 lakh farmers in the suicide-prone Vidarbha region are victims of private moneylenders. “It is for the first time that the Centre has felt the need to control the menace,’’ Tiwari said.

Even though the Centre has waived loans, farmers are still facing a crisis due to private moneylenders. “We have a law to prohibit private moneylending, but the

law was never implemented in letter and spirit,’’ Tiwari said.

A senior agriculture department official said that, with the task force, the government would be able to ascertain the influence exerted by private moneylenders. “We have information that while granting loans to farmers in distress, most moneylenders transfer the farmers’ properties to their own names. As a result, even after repaying their loans, the farmers become landless,’’ the official said. “In our opinion, the state did not make serious efforts to take them on,’’ the official added.

On the extension of the OTS, he said that when the Centre declared the loanwaiver scheme, the farmers were told to clear outstanding dues before June 30, 2009 so that they could be eligible for fresh loans. The Centre had waived Rs 25,000 from every loan. “The farmer was expected to clear the remaining amount before June 30 to be eligible for fresh loans. Now that the Centre has extended the deadline by six months, it will help the farmers in distress,’’ the official said.

On the fertiliser subsidy, he added that so far the subsidy was paid to the farmer through the dealer. Now, the agrarian community will benefit directly.

Posted by VIDARBHA FARMER SUICIDE at 9:20 PM

Million crore Rupee mega Indian budget received mix reaction of Vidarbha cotton farmers-dayafterindia Reports

Million crore Rupee mega Indian budget received mix reaction of Vidarbha cotton farmers

http://www.dayafterindia.com/july109/b2.html

first ever Indian union budget for year 2009-10 of more than one million crore rupees has received mix reaction of dying vidarbha farmers of farm suicide affected west vidarbha as it has not given any special economic package to the region but Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti (VJAS) has welcomed union Govt. decision to give direct fertilisers subsidy to the farmers and announcement of special task force for looking farm debt issue of private money lender in Maharashtra."farm debt of private lender is the serious issue and is also one of the region of farm suicide in west vidarbha for the first time Indian Govt. has officially recognised it now this debt waiver will be major task in future after the recommendation of of task force as more than 3 million cotton farmer are in debt trap of private money lender"kishore tiwari of VJAS informed today while reacting to indian budget .

VJAS has also welcomed the union Govt. decision to increase budgetary allotment to National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme NREGA and Notional Rural Health Mission NRHM "now Govt. should see that it is implemented and made operational in agrarian crisis effected vidarbha as earlier it failed to give any relief to distressed cotton farmers"tiwari added.

Earlier VJAS had drawn the attention of Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee toward pathetic condition of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra which is known as farm suicide capital of India.It's agrarian crisis but massive backwardness in the infrastructure developments,lack of industrialisation coupled with regular power cut-load shedding ,tribal starvation death ,malnutrition and complete failure of NREGA and NRHM in vidarbha has made this region as colony of salves of western Maharashtra and mumbai .Massive corruption and hostile administration has made ground condition too critical to define ,Vidarbha is the completely ignored region in Maharashtra that has resulted this economic crisis ,needs to be addressed with special economic package by the central budgetary sanctions ,urged by VJAS in letter to FM before the budget.

VJAS president Kishore Tiwari has also hailed Finance Minister announcement of giving extension to the OTS scheme of Rs.71,000 crore from 30th june 2009 to 31december 2009 now maharashtra Govt. should also extend their OTS scheme under extended loan waiver of Rs.6208 crore ,tiwari demanded.

food Security to Poor

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announcement to make act to give 25 k.g. of wheat or rice @ of Rs.3/- will certainly benefit more than 40 million poor families having BPL card and till covered under any food security scheme of public distribution system."we demand early implementation of this food for all poor scheme as starvation and hunger is very burning issue of tribal part of vidarbha."Tiwari said .

"Extension of National Rural Health Scheme to every Indian under BPL is good step but implementation is always problem due to corruption in administration.the decision to give 1% interest rate is not enough in fact rain fed farmers needs interest free crop loan.

we are happy that interest on educational loan of all students of weaker section studying in recognised professional institute will waived off but it is long pending demand to for free ship to all economic weaker section student for MBBS ,B.E. or M.B.A. education "Tiwari added.

VJAS demands for setting up a agricultural price stabilisation fund and the government should pump more funds into rural system restoration, NREG and National Rural Health Mission monitoring to control corruption is must,” demands Tiwari

Million crore Rupee mega Indian budget received mix reaction of Vidarbha cotton farmers

NAGPUR: -6th July 2009,

first ever Indian union budget for year 2009-10 of more than one million crore rupees has received mix reaction of dying vidarbha farmers of farm suicide affected west vidarbha as it has not given any special economic package to the region but Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti (VJAS) has welcomed union Govt. decision to give direct fertilisers subsidy to the farmers coupled with crop loan credit to more than 3lac 40 thousand crore from 2 lac 56 thousand crore and announcement of special task force for looking farm debt issue of private money lender in Maharashtra."farm debt of private lender is the serious issue and is also one of the region of farm suicide in west vidarbha for the first time Indian Govt. has officially recognised it now this debt waiver will be major task in future after the recommendation of of task force as more tahn 3 million cotton farmer are in debt trap of private money lender"kishore tiwari of VJAS informed today while reacting to indian budget .

VJAS has also welcomed the union Govt. decision to increase budgetary allotment to National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme NREGA and Notional Rural Health Mission NRHM "now Govt. should see that it is implemented and made operational in agrarian crisis effected vidarbha as earlier it failed to give any relief to distressed cotton farmers"tiwari added.

Earlier VJAS had drawn the attention of Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee toward pathetic condition of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra which is known as farm suicide capital of India.It's agrarian crisis but massive backwardness in the infrastructure developments,lack of industrialisation coupled with regular power cut-load shedding ,tribal starvation death ,malnutrition and complete failure of NREGA and NRHM in vidarbha has made this region as colony of salves of western Maharashtra and mumbai .Massive corruption and hostile administration has made ground condition too critical to define ,Vidarbha is the completely ignored region in Maharashtra that has resulted this economic crisis ,needs to be addressed with special economic package by the central budgetary sanctions ,urged by VJAS in letter to FM before the budget.

VJAS president Kishore Tiwari has also hailed Finance Minister announcement of giving extention to the OTS scheme of Rs.71,000 crore from 30th june 2009 to 31december 2009 now maharashtra Govt. should also extend their OTS scheme under extended loan waiver of Rs.6208 crore ,tiwari demanded.
food Security to Poor
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announcement to make act to give 25 k.g. of wheat or rice @ of Rs.3/- will certainly benefit more than 40 million poor families having BPL card and till not covered under any food security scheme of public distribution system."we demand early implementation of this food for all poor scheme as starvation and hunger is very burning issue of tribal part of vidarbha."Tiwari said .
"Extension of National Rural Health Scheme to every Indian under BPL is good step but implementation is always problem due to corruption in administration.the decision to give 1% interest rate is not enough in fact rain fed farmers needs interest free crop loan.
we are happy that interest on educational loan of all students of weaker section studying in recognised professional institute will waived off but it is long pending demand to for free ship to all economic weaker section student for MBBS ,B.E. or M.B.A. education "Tiwari added.

VJAS demands for setting up a agricultural price stabilisation fund and the government should pump more funds into rural system restoration, NREG and National Rural Health Mission monitoring to control corruption is must,” demands Tiwari

========================================================

UPA Budget 2009-10-VJAS urged Finance Minister to give special Economic Package Dying Vidarbha

UPA Budget 2009-10
VJAS urged Finance Minister to give special Economic Package Dying Vidarbha

NAGPUR: -4th July 2009,

Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti (VJAS) has drawn the attention of Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee toward pathetic condition of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra which is known as farm suicide capital of India.It's agrarian crisis but massive backwardness in the infrastructure developments,lack of industrialisation coupled with regular power cut-load shedding ,tribal starvation death ,malnutrition and complete failure of NREGA and NRHM in vidarbha has made this region as colony of salves of western Maharashtra and mumbai .Massive corruption and hostile administration has made ground condition too critical to define ,Vidarbha is the completely ignored region in Maharashtra that has resulted this economic crisis ,needs to be addressed with special economic package by the central budgetary sanctions ,urged by VJAS in letter to FM before the budget.

VJAS president Kishore Tiwari has recalled the visit of Indian prime minister Dr.Manmohan singh to vidarbha and announcement of Rs.3750 crore farmers relief package which has terned to be hoax followed by loan waivers series given by union and state Govt. as it failed to raise Agriculture Growth rate in the region moreover there is no respite to economic hardships of 3 million distressed farmers of vidarbha.Maharashtra attitude toward the vidarbha is so negative that state failed address the basic issues of food security and health care of distressed and dying farmers though there are numbers highcourt orders ,human rights commissions and special panels recommendations hence we need union Govt. intervention by way budgetary special economic package,Tiwari added.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee souled look at the problems of dry-land farmers of where farmers have to face vagaries of the nature as well as the market forces. Neglect of the dry-land farmers has led to cultivators’ growing dependence on cash crops and giving up food crops. special incentive food crop promotion is long pending demand of vidarbha region.VJAS also urged the FM to look an urgent need for setting up a agricultural price stabilisation fund. In the last five years, prices of farm produce have been volatile. For instance, soyabean prices have swung from Rs 1200 to Rs 4000 a quintal and pluses price Rs 24000 to Rs 74000 a quintal. Due to this a farmer seldom makes money. It is the middleman who gets the big cut while the consumers have to face the brunt of price rise. A stabilisation fund could be the answer to this problem,Tiwari said.

VJAS demands that the government should pump more funds into rural system restoration, NREG and National Rural Health Mission and tighten up the monitoring delivery system to control corruption.National review of NREG and NRHM is must,” demands Tiwari.
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‘1,020m people go hungry in world’-VJAS Draws PM’s Attention to Impending Food Crisis-Times Report

Friday, June 26, 2009

‘1,020m people go hungry in world’-VJAS Draws PM’s Attention to Impending Food Crisis-Times Report

‘1,020m people go hungry in world’

VJAS Draws PM’s Attention to Impending Food Crisis

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Nagpur: Drawing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s attention to the recent United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization report on impending food crisis in the world’ farmers activist group Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has demanded that special measures like National Food Security Mission betaken in suicide prone areas of Vidarbha.“Ever since a majority of farmers in west Vidarbha shifted to mono crop cultivation of cotton or soyabean, there has been a severe food shortage leading to high number of suicide in the six districts of the region,” Kishor Tiwari of VJAS said. According to him the area of land under cash crop cultivation has increased to almost 95% in recent years and that is one of the main reasons of increasing distress and debt due to high cost of cultivation of these4 cash crop.

VJAS has been demanding introduction of food security mission in west Vidarbha t ensure provision of essential food grains to farmers to save them from taking own lives at times of such distress. Quoting the FAO report, Tiwari said that world hunger is projected to reach a historic high in 2009 with 1,020 million people going hungry every day. The increase in hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests but is caused by the world economic crisis that has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment.

This has reduced access to food by the poor according to the UN agency. The FAO reported has also touched on the root causes of agrarian crisis among small and marginal dry land farmers involved in non food crop cultivation. FAO director general Jacques Diouf has said in the reported “A dangerous mix of the global economic slowdown combined with stubbornly high food proce in many countries has pushed some 100 million more people than last year into chronic hunger crisis – affecting one sixth of all of humanity– poses a serious rusk to world peace and security.Almost all of the world’s undernourished live in developing countries. In Asia and the Pacific, an estimated 642 million people are suffering from chronic

hunger, in Sub-Saharan Africa 265 million; in Latin America and the Caribbean 53 million in the Near East and North Africa 42 million; and in developed countries 15 million in total.

Tiwari has also slammed the Maharashtra government for its failure to implement the Narendra Jadhav committee report. “The report was accepted by the state legislature in December last year, but till date the government has not prepared any action plan to implement it,” lamented Tiwari. Jadhav has recommended special measures for 4.34 lakh severely distressed families in the six affected districts and urgent healthcare facilities for 92,000 families whose members are suffering from serious ailments and draining the farm incomes. “Instead of giving a serious thought to his findings, the UPA government has rewarded Jadhav by giving him the post of Planning’s Commission member,” Tiwari alleged.

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Govt Siting Idle on Jadhav Panel Report-Hitavada Reports

Govt Siting Idle on Jadhav Panel Report

Staff Reporter:

LAUNCHING a scathing attack on the State Government for siting idle in report of committee under Pune University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Narendra Jadhav, which was submitted to State Cabinet on August 6, 2008, farmers leaders have demanded immediate implementation of recommendations made by committee.

The one man committee report had stated that it is the relatively better off western Maharashtra region and not the crisis plagued Vidarbha region of the State that has benefited most from Government loan waivers Farmers in western Maharashtra got 53.8 per cent of the loan waiver’ those in Vidarbha just the report also outlined an action plan and various recommendations to be implemented for the betterment of the farming community in vidarbha.

“Even after a period of over 11 months of the committee submitting its

report, the State Government has not made any implementation. This has spread a wide-spread discontent amongst the farmers of Vidarbha. It also reveals the

earnestness of Government toward upliftment of farmers in Vidarbha,” statedVJS’ Santosh Naitam.

Naitam has also denounced Government’s decision to appoint Dr. Jadhav as Member of Planning Commission of India. “Is it an effort on the part of Government to relocate him. Government should jave shown same eagerness to implement his report in Vidarbha,” Naitam said.

To press for demand, the organization has also sent a memorandum to Chief Minister Ashok Chavhan recently. The letter also demanded hike in MSP of farm produce in Vidarbha like Soyabean, millet, Tur, Jowar etc. “Production of crops like cotto and soybean was too low in the region last year. Private traders offered too low returns for the produce and in the absence of any help from the Government, the farmers were left with no option but to sell the produce to such private players even at substantial low rates. When the yielding season reached its peak last year, the Government stopped purchase of may

crops depriving the farmers of benefits of MSPs. This should not happen at least this season, “Naitam said.

In the letter, VJS has said that it has been monitoring that it has been monitoring Vidarbha farmer’s suicide and agrarian crisis since 1999. “If we look at net result of relief packages worth crores of rupees it is clear that all of them have failed to stop on going farm suicides on Vidarbha. More over it failed to provide any help or healing touch to millions of distressed farmers in Vidarbha”. Govt has formed high-power Committee headed by Dr. Jadhav to examine shortcomings in Farmer’s Packages under implementation and to suggest remedial measures to stop farmer suicides. Committee had admitted that the packages have totally failed to provide any immediate help to those farmer’s families in the category of ‘farmers Families in Extreme Distress’ (total families4,34,291) and ‘Farmers Families with Extreme Illness’ (total families 92,456),

though the complete data of which is available in the Report of Survey conducted by Government o Maharashtra in June, 2006. It is required that Govt must act, otherwise it will be too late to revive collapsed social structure in crises ridden rural Vidarbha.

Dr. Jadhav Committee report findings

Dr. NARENDRA Jadhav Committee was set up to examine implementation of relief packages to distressed farmers and report on the overall agricultural scenario in the State. It submitted its report in August 2008 stating that it was relatively better off western Maharashtra region and not the crisis plagued Vidarbha region of the State that has benefited most from government loan waivers. Committee has also been critical on the manner in which loan waivers have been disbursed and quality of government aid packages. Its finding are as follows;

. Farmers in western Maharastra got 53.8 per cent of the loan waiver; those in Vidarbha just 20.01 per cent.

. Farming has become unprofitable in Vidarbha due to lack of irrigation inadequate credit for farmers, lack of non-agriculture related activities to supplement farm incomes, and harassment by money lenders.

. Sufficient awareness was not created among farmers regarding the aid packages.

. 40 per cent of important posts in the Agriculture Department remain

vacant.

. No independent entity to implement aid packages result in lack of

coordination among departments.

. Several irregularities, such as middlemen accepting commissions, in relief disbursement.

. Poor implementation of aid, such as mulch animals being given to farmers without ascertaining whether they have the means to maintain the animals and without providing veterinary support.

. Sub-standard agricultural implements bought, and at higher than market rates.

Posted by vidarbha times at 1:29 AM