Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has formed a special empowered committee of a group of senior ministers to look into the various demands of the agitating farmers in Maharashtra. The committee will be headed by revenue minister Chandrakant Patil and will include Pandurang Fundkar, Girish Mahajan, Subhash Deshmukh and Diwakar Raote.
“The group of ministers will hold discussions with all the farmer leaders and will forward its recommendations report to the government for approval, ” said Fadnavis. He reiterated that the government believes in discussing all the issues to sort out the problems.
Chandrakant Patil said, “The chief minister already announced loan waiver on June 2 midnight. It is principally accepted but we need to look deeper into the issue. We are ready to discuss with all the farmer leaders and also with those who understand agriculture.” He stressed that the committee is formed to submit only recommendations, while the final decision will be taken by the cabinet.
Meanwhile, 33 organisations participating in the farmer's strike formed a central committee of leaders of all the organisations and experts to decide the course of the strike. Member of Parliament Raju Shetty, who is also one of the farmer leaders said, “We have given a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to discuss our demands. After that, we will call for bandh and will completely cut supply of all agriculture produce to Mumbai.”
He also pointed out that the formation of group of ministers is of limited purpose as it will only discuss and recommend. According to him, the group of ministers is not really empowered to solve the crisis.
Meanwhile, former union minister and President of Rajasthan Congress Sachin Pilot, in a press conference held in Mumbai, said, “BJP made huge promises before elections. Its manifesto included implementation of Swaminathan Commissions recommendations. But the government gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court that it cannot be implemented.”
Similar U-turn was taken for increasing MSPs. “How is government going to double the income of farmers when it is actually reducing the MSP, canceling bonuses and importing agricultural produce at zero percent import duty?” he questioned.
Pilot said Congress will surely intensify the protest in support of the farmers in India. He bitterly criticised the celebrations that the government is holding for completing three years in power. “Govt is spending Rs 2,200 crore on the advertisements and celebrations. It has been a complete failure on all fronts. Farmers are getting killed for asking good price. This is celebration over the dead bodies of innocents,” Sachin Pilot said.
