Vidarbha reality: No respite for cotton farmers--NDTV reports.

Vidarbha reality: No respite for cotton farmers

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=
No+respite+for+cotton+farmers&id=98422

1."The attitude of the farmers is changed completely. They are bent on making physical assaults. They attacked our men. We are really fed up with the Maharashtra's government's policy,"

2.the crisis could have been avoided if the government took a decision earlier.


3.The farmers have had no option but to wait as no one else is offering a better price and the government has not opened any more purchase centres.


Sunday, December 24, 2006 (Vidarbha):

A little over two weeks ago a mob of farmers in Wani in Vidarbha turned violent in

protest against the government's delay in purchasing their cotton.

One farmer died in police firing, adding fuel to fire.

The state federation has now issued notices to temporarily shut some of the purchase centres.

"We have received this notice from the state federation to close down for a week.
There are about a thousand carts coming daily. And in the middle of all this, comes this notice.

The farmers are not thinking twice before attacking our officials and office bearers," said Abhay Dongre, Deputy Chairman, APMC.

The farmers have had no option but to wait as no one else is offering a better price and the government has not opened any more purchase centres.

"We have come from 40 km. Our neighbouring centre at Mauda is still closed.
The one at JodMoha can't weigh more than 25 quintals.
And we are not getting the price here," said Sitaram Rathod, farmer.

Locals say the crisis could have been avoided if the government took a decision earlier.

"The attitude of the farmers is changed completely. They are bent on making physical assaults.
They attacked our men. We are really fed up with the Maharashtra's government's policy," said Dongre.

The farmers, quite clearly, are frustrated and there is more bad news waiting for them.

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