reported by, Mayuresh Ganapatye
edited by: Pathikrit Sen Gupta
Last Update: March 17, 2023, 01:32 AM IST
The protesting farmers had placed 17 demands for approval from the state government. Pic/PTI
According to farmer leaders, the state government has agreed to all their demands during the talks on Thursday, and hence the long march on the outskirts of Mumbai will wait till March 20 till it issues an official order.
The farmers’ ‘long march’ that started from Maharashtra’s Nashik district will await near Vasind town on the outskirts of Mumbai as the second meeting between farmer leaders and the state government turned out to be fruitful. was invited by the farmer leaders Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Will hold talks on Thursday regarding various demands. Along with the CM, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar and officials of the concerned departments were also present.
According to farmer leaders, the state government has accepted all their demands and hence the long march will wait till March 20 on the outskirts of Mumbai till it issues an official order.
The protesting farmers had placed 17 demands for approval from the state government, including remunerative prices Onion, cotton, soybean, pigeon pea, green gram, and milk. They have demanded a rate hike of Rs 2,000 per quintal and an immediate subsidy of Rs 600 per quintal for onions, as well as a change in the onion export policy.
Farmer leader and former MLA Jeeva Gavit told the media, “The government has accepted our demands. We have given them an ultimatum that effective implementation should be done at the taluka level by issuing orders within four days. Till then our long march will be in Vasind, on the outskirts of Mumbai. We will withdraw our march and return to our villages only after the implementation starts in a time bound manner. Otherwise, we will continue our long march and enter Mumbai.”
In the meeting which lasted for three hours, the state government discussed in detail all the demands of the farmers. The issue of land ownership of tribal farmers, 12 hours electricity for farmers and encroachment on tribal farming was also discussed in detail. CM Shinde assured the delegation of farmer leaders that this government is with them. He said, “Today we had a very useful and positive discussion with the delegation of protesting farmers. We are with the farmers of the state. I will make a statement on the floor of the House regarding this issue. I have also requested them to withdraw their march and protest.”
This is the third such long march in the last 7 years for various demands. Around 10,000 farmers from different regions of Maharashtra have participated in this protest march.
Their other major demands include complete loan waiver for farmers, waiver of pending electricity bills and 12-hour daily supply of electricity, compensation by the government and insurance companies for losses suffered by farmers due to unseasonal rains and other natural calamities. Increase in PM Awas Yojana subsidy from Rs 1.40 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, fresh survey and inclusion of applicants’ names in ‘D’ list, compensation in cases of essential land acquisition as per Kerala formula, filling up of all vacancies Govt. Regularizing all contract workers and scheme workers as government employees, and replacing “fake tribals” with genuine people in government posts.
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