Cong to corner government on farmers’ issues: Nana Patole

NAGPUR: MPCC chief Nana Patole on Monday said his party would corner the BJP-Shiv Sena (Balasaheb) government on various issues plaguing the farmers during the budget session in Mumbai.
Speaking to the media, he said the farmers were facing a crisis as their cotton, paddy, tur, maize, onion and soybean crops were ruined due to inclement weather and other factors.
“They are in an acute financial crisis as they are not getting proper prices for their agricultural produce. It is high time for the farmers, who are in distress, to hit the road and throw onions on the streets. The state government led by chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has failed to give justice to the farming community. The opposition would force the government to help them.”
Quoting the example of onions, whose prices have dropped leading to huge losses for the farmers, Patole, the Sakoli MLA from Bhandara said, the farmers were angry as they were not getting back even their invested amount.
“The government should purchase their produce as per the minimum support price. Even other crops like Maize, gram, cotton, soybeans, paddy were purchased at low rates. Also, the power tariff has shot up in the state. All these adverse factors are leading farmers to end their lives as their debt keeps on mounting. However, the Shinde-Fadnavis government is in a slumber.”
Replying to a query, the Congress chief said even since the BJP government had assumed power at the centre in 2014, the country was being run in a dictatorial manner. “The BJP is misusing the power. There is currently an undeclared emergency in the country and opposition parties are being suppressed. There is a big resentment among the people against BJP and the government would soon get a taste of it when their anger would explode,” he said.