Vidarbha package is a sham: VJAS

Vidarbha package is a sham: VJAS


DH News Service Mumbai :



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Vidarbha package is a sham: VJAS


DH News Service Mumbai :

In the last three days, nine more farmer suicides were reported by Nagpur-based private watchdog Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), taking this year's toll of farm suicides to one hundred.




As far as cotton growers of Vidarbha are concerned, the last century was a dark period which saw many of their friends and relatives committing suicide. And as the situation worsens with each passing day, their own lives seem to be at stake.

In the last three days, nine more farmer suicides were reported by Nagpur-based private watchdog Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), taking this year's toll of farm suicides to one hundred. According to a daily register maintained by VJAS, three farmers from Yavatmal, two each from Washim and Buldhana and one each from Amravati and Nagpur, ended their lives. The dubious "century" was attained despite the Prime Minister releasing a special Rs 3,750-crore package for Vidarbha and similar efforts by the State Government.

Official statistics describe six districts in West Vidarbha as suicide-prone and report 1,452 suicides in 2006. However, the local administration claims that most of the suicides were because of non-agrarian reasons like alcoholism, family disputes and social tensions. As a result, only 542 cases were found eligible for the Rs 2 lakh compensation.


Worse, despite the Prime Minister's announcement of the special package seven months ago, the Centre is yet to release the amount, and has so far given only Rs 248 crore of its Rs 2,941-crore share, which was earmarked to complete the pending irrigation projects in Maharashtra. In Vidarbha, only 7 per cent of the total agricultural land is irrigated.



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