Maharashtra govt reaches out to agitating farmers
Mrityunjay Bose, DH News Service, Mumbai, Mar 11 2018, 20:41 IST
Devendra Fadnavis. PTI file photo.
As the size of the farmers' march to Mumbai grew in size and drew political support across all quarters, the Maharashtra government reached out to them and invited them for talks on Monday.
The 180-km-long Nashik-Mumbai long march that started last Tuesday, entered Mumbai on Sunday evening.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would meet a delegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, the farmers' wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday.
For Fadnavis, and his BJP-led government, this is a major challenge to sort out the crisis in view of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Besides, his loan-waiver scheme, announced in the year 2017 had come out under severe criticism.
"I am sure something positive would come out...the government is sympathetic to the issues of the farmers," said Public Health and Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan after meeting the representatives of ABKS.
The three key demands of farmers are complete loan waiver, implementation of the recommendations of the Dr MS Swaminathan Committee report on fixation of Minimum Support Price and implementation of Forest Rights Act.
"When we had started on 6 March from Nashik, there were just 12,000 farmers. now we have around 30,000 to 35,000 marching with us on Monday, we are sure that it would increase by double fold," ABKS General Secretary Dr Ajit Navle said.
"We are going to meet the Chief Minister and the government. Our demands remain the same. We would move out only when we get a written assurance from the government," he said.
Most of the political parties have supported the ABKS morcha, including Shiv Sena, MNS, AAP besides the Congress and NCP.
"We support the farmers," Maharashtra Congress President and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said. "The Chief Minister should not be adamant and speak to them to resolve their problems," he added.
"We are with farmers," NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who is the longest-serving Union Agriculture Minister, said in Raigad district. State NCP President, Sunil Tatkare and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dhananjay Munde would meet the farmers and join them on Monday.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's son and Yuva Sena leader Aditya Thackeray and MNS President Raj Thackeray too have reached out to them. Several Left and Dalit organisations and NGOs have supported the farmers.
For Monday, several traffic diversions have been made in Mumbai and suburban areas. Besides, the morcha is likely to be stopped at the Azad Maidan area and the delegation would be invited for talks at the Vidhan Bhawan or Mantralaya.
The 180-km-long Nashik-Mumbai long march that started last Tuesday, entered Mumbai on Sunday evening.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would meet a delegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha, the farmers' wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday.
For Fadnavis, and his BJP-led government, this is a major challenge to sort out the crisis in view of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Besides, his loan-waiver scheme, announced in the year 2017 had come out under severe criticism.
"I am sure something positive would come out...the government is sympathetic to the issues of the farmers," said Public Health and Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan after meeting the representatives of ABKS.
The three key demands of farmers are complete loan waiver, implementation of the recommendations of the Dr MS Swaminathan Committee report on fixation of Minimum Support Price and implementation of Forest Rights Act.
"When we had started on 6 March from Nashik, there were just 12,000 farmers. now we have around 30,000 to 35,000 marching with us on Monday, we are sure that it would increase by double fold," ABKS General Secretary Dr Ajit Navle said.
"We are going to meet the Chief Minister and the government. Our demands remain the same. We would move out only when we get a written assurance from the government," he said.
Most of the political parties have supported the ABKS morcha, including Shiv Sena, MNS, AAP besides the Congress and NCP.
"We support the farmers," Maharashtra Congress President and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said. "The Chief Minister should not be adamant and speak to them to resolve their problems," he added.
"We are with farmers," NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who is the longest-serving Union Agriculture Minister, said in Raigad district. State NCP President, Sunil Tatkare and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dhananjay Munde would meet the farmers and join them on Monday.
Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's son and Yuva Sena leader Aditya Thackeray and MNS President Raj Thackeray too have reached out to them. Several Left and Dalit organisations and NGOs have supported the farmers.
For Monday, several traffic diversions have been made in Mumbai and suburban areas. Besides, the morcha is likely to be stopped at the Azad Maidan area and the delegation would be invited for talks at the Vidhan Bhawan or Mantralaya.
