06/06/2007

Western Vidarbha : Home state of UPA Coalition government Cricket Minister :

With 10 more Vidarbha farmers' suicides in last three days taking toll to 432 since Jan.2007
6 June 2007 -
Agriculture growth has drastically declined, Maharashtra Govt. admits

Nagpur, June 06 : Fifteen more farmers of Vidarbha region committed suicides in last five after the Indian Government announced that Rs.250,000 million is being given to agriculture sector.
The farmers that committed suicides are:

1 Chandrabhan Shivram Jamdade At. Aregaon Ta. Pusad Dist. Yavatmal
2 Gajanan Ramkisan More At. Lehani Ta. Resod Dist. Vashim
3 Keshav Sarvaram Chaudhari At. Parditakmor Dist. Vashim
4 Udaram Mahadev Gahane At. Pandharvani Dist. Gondiya
5 Sarjerao Vasudevrao Ladi At. Savangi Dist. Wardha
6 Maroti Lakshman Madavi At. Javeli Dist. Gadchiroli
7 Samran Jhuru Madavi At. Vasmundi Dist. Gadchiroli
8 Vasudeo Pandurang Mohurle At. Murkhada Dist. Gadchiroli
9 Janrao Chandrabhan Mahalle At. Selu Dist. Akola
10 Tukaram Lingu Gadge At. Tohogao Dist. Chandrapur

January 2007 - 70
February - 88
March - 97
April - 95
May - 76
June - 10
Western Maharashtra, Vidarbha recorded Figures = 432

A Press release of Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), said in year 2007 record 416 Vidarbha farmers suicides have been reported (January-70, February-88, March-97, April 95, May-76,AND JUNE15). The farm suicides in Vidarbha are increasing but administration is official media to mislead the world that Vidarbha farm suicides are on the decline as Maharashtra Government on it's own website http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf

Indian Agriculture, Sensex Ministers and Cricket Ministers
VIDARBHA MAHARASHTRA FARM SUICIDES AND YEAR :

2001 - 49
2002 - 105
2003 - 143
2004 - 441
2005 - 560
2006 - 1427
2007 - TILL 06 JUNE - 432

In the National Development Council, (NDC), recent meeting Maharashtra Government officially admitted that farmers' suicides from west Vidarbha has shown decline in agriculture growth by record negative 27 per cent. This has dropped down the overall progress growth of Maharashtra, the release said.

According to VJAS president Kishor Tiwari there is 250 per cent growth in the population of debt trap farmers i.e from 400,000 in 2006 to now more than one million. The Maharashtra Government failed to give any proposal of foodgrain farming in Vidarbha region to the Indian Government and hence failed to receive any relief in this regard. As such this has resulted in Vidarbha region having more than 90 per cent area likely under non-grain cash crop cultivation. This will create grave economic crisis in the region, Tiwari added.

VJAS has demanded that Maharashtra Government should introduce food crop promotional policy in West Vidarbha region as National Farm Policy because of ongoing agrarian crisis is high risk and high cost cotton farming which has created this unusual distress in one million farmers. In west Vidarbha more than 30 per cent area was under cultivation of food crop but in last one decade it has dropped down to 5 per cent creating major problem of food and fodder for farmers, Tiwari informed.

He said that cotton farmers of west Vidarbha are opting for more and more cash crop due to high profile marketing and state sponsored promotion of very high cost modern chemical and genetically modified seed farming which may take agriculture to second green revolution but kill million of debt trap farmers.

From :
KISHOR TIWARI
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
vidarbha@gmail.com
09422108846