NAGPUR: Assurance from agriculture minister Pandurang
Phundkar notwithstanding, the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government failed to table the special investigation team (SIT) report into the deaths due to pesticide spraying. Yaatmal district, which has earned the ignominy of recording highest farmer deaths due to agrarian crisis, also topped the chart in deaths due to pesticide spraying.
Chief Minister
Fadnavis told the media after the end of winter session of state legislature on Friday that the report was not ready and some more investigations were required before making it public. So far, 44 persons have died due to inhaling of poisonous pesticides in the last couple of months in Vidarbha.
Principal secretary of state agriculture department Bijoy Kumar said SIT report would be finalized only after all concerned departments go through it and mark their observations. "It's still under scrutiny. Many departments are yet to study it. Only after their comments, the report would be finalized," he said.
Later Phundkar told TOI that the SIT report was under CM's consideration and only he would make it public.
Fadnavis said there was no need to table the report in assembly, as they had never made any assurance to this effect. "The report is still inconclusive. We've sent viscera samples for further investigations. We've already spoken about various contents of the report in both Houses," he said.
To another query, the CM said that the seed companies must provide compensation as per law and there was no need to seek their consent. "We've already lodged FIRs against them and if needed would them fight in court. We've received over 8.5 lakh complaints against seed companies," he said.
Expressing disappointment, chairman of Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM) Kishor Tiwari said the report was submitted by Amravati divisional commissioner Piyush Singh to the government on November 27. "As per my sources, the report pinned the blame of pesticide deaths on seed companies and government officials. The companies and farm activists had approached SIT earlier to listen to them."
He added that the government should have made the report public, as there was nothing confidential in it. "The government must come to a logical conclusion on pesticides and ban it. The issue is grave as chemicals are being used. The companies must be made accountable. The ban on certain pesticides should continue," he told TOI.
Farm activist
Vijay Jawandiya accused the BJP-Sena government of just passing buck on Congress and doing nothing since last three years in this regard. "If they blame companies in SIT report, the latter would say that they sell their products in
Gujarat, AP and other states, where no deaths took place. They must realize that the problem of pesticides is not limited to Yavatmal alone. Those are used in entire country. The government has failed to create awareness among farmers for using high concentration products. It also failed to set up required infrastructure in the rural areas," he said.
