Maharashtra panel moots '10-point' agenda to end farmers' suicides

A farmpanel on Friday submitted a 10point programme intended to arrest the agrarian crises in Maharashtra and end the saga of farmers suicides in the state a top official said hereThe Vasantrao Naik Shet Swavlamban Mission VNSSM President Kishore Tiwari accorded a Minister of State status formally submitted the 10point charter to Chief Secretary Sitaram KunteOn his part Kunte directed the Agriculture Department to initiate the necessary measures in the matter on priority Tiwari told IANS after the meetingThe parched Vidarbha Marathwada and Khandesh regions of the state have been under the grip of a severe agrocrisis since the past nearly 25 years forcing thousands of woeful farmers to end their lives and the trend continues even nowDespite measures relief packages or loanwaivers worth over Rs fivelakh crore given by successive governments the core issues remain untouched and need to be addressed on top priority to bring succour to the peasantry Tiwari told KunteThe 10point programme includes state to address input cost reduction and output cost intervention shifting to crop pattern as per demand of the local and global market to stop frequent failure of the creditcycle in new farm credit policy secondary livelihood management income activity core issues of irrigation water conservation soil health revival proper risk management with effective crop insurance and climate change issueBesides Tiwari called for proper incentive for agroforestry promotion of pulses and oilseed crops professional quality health and education rural infrastructure food security and improvement in the quality of local governanceThe VNSSM chief contended that the rural agrarian distress also remained unresolved owing to a hostile administration noncooperation of the bankers illintended interventions and complex issues pertaining to socialengineering besides the economic crises in the country especially in the past seven yearsTiwari assured Kunte that the VNSSM has a detailed ready plan to tackle all these issues which can eliminate directionless relief or loan waivers packages and end the cycle of farmers suicides on a permanent basisIn the past 25 years or so Tiwari said an estimated 35000plus farmers including several women have resorted to the extreme step of suicide as they could not bear the burden of pending loans leaving behind a large number of destitute widows and orphans across the stateThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever