MUMBAI: Launching a scathing attack on the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, leader of opposition Ajit Pawar said that farmers' suicides have jumped in its short tenure. He demanded a joint inspection committee of both assembly and council to study the impact of climate change on the farmers and file the report.
Speaking on the proposal moved by the opposition and treasury benches under Rule 293 on various issues plaguing the farming community on Friday, Pawar said during Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government their suicides were three per day, which had jumped to eight per day on an average till January this year in the chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis government.
"When Fadnavis was CM, there were record number of farmers suicides at 5,061. In former CM Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure, those were reduced to 1,607. However, in the present government, those jumped to 1,023 till January. No CM would want farmers to end their lives, but the fact is that they were forced to do so, as they were not getting any help from the government."
Reminding the government about its promise that no farmer would end his life in its tenure, the opposition leader said they were throwing their produce like onion and vegetables on roads, as they were not getting the minimum support price (MSP) as assured.
"You said you had extended help to the farmers beyond norms set by the National Disaster Response Force, but that was yet to reach them. They were not getting any new loans and even the insurance amount. You were earlier busy in the government formation and now in the courts, and do not have time to address the farmers' issues,” he said to Shinde, who was present in the house.
Speaking on climate change, Pawar said it was adversely affecting the farming pattern and farmers were clueless on how to save the crops. “Maharashtra is among 100 states in the world that were hit by this phenomenon. The farmers were regularly hit by the unseasonal rains, hailstorm and floods. The Agriculture Department needs to take this issue seriously and find out the solution.”
Flaying the Shinde-Fadnavis government for resorting to lathi-charge on the protesting farmers, he termed them as “insensitive”. “The farmers need to be provided with MSP. The government needs to change the policy on purchase of cotton and soybean crops. In areas like Chandrapur, there is growing man-animal conflict as the wild animals are destroying the farmers’ crops.”
Reminding Fadnavis of his demand as an opposition leader in the MVA government to provide free power to the farmers for their agriculture pumps, Pawar called on him to fulfill it as he himself was handling that portfolio. “Many states like Telangana and Madhya Pradesh have waived the farmers' bills. The MP government had provided a package of Rs 6,500 crore to them. The crops like onion, cotton, grapes, orange, banana, mango and pomegranate were destroyed due to the rains. On the other hand, the cost of pesticides, transportation, labour and others are continuously rising. Due to all these factors, the farmers are in distress and looking out for urgent help,” he said.
