DEBT TRAPED VIDARBHA FARMERS TO START "HALLABOL AGITATION" FOR FRESH CROP LOAN
NAGPUR - 30MAY 2007 :
SIX VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES IN DAY ON 29TH OF MAY REPORTED WHEN INDIAN AFTER PRIME MINISTER WAS ADDRESSING FARM DISTRESS ISSUE AT NEW DELHI IN NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL MEET ALONG WITH CHIEF MINISTERS OF FARM SUICIDE EFFECTED STATES TAKING TOLL OF VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES TO 410 SINCE JANUARY 2007
HAVING FAILED TO GET NO RESPONSE FROM INDIAN GOVT. ON THE CREDIT FRONT THAT'S VIDARBHA COTTON FARMERS DEMANDING FRESH CROP LOAN BY WAIVING OLD PENDING DUES AS MORE THAN 2 MILLION ARE UNDER DEBT TRAP AND BEING DEFAULTER GOVT. BANKS ARE NOT GIVING FRESH CROP LOAN TO THEM FORCING THEM TO TAKE LOAN FROM UNREGULATED PRIVATE MONEY LENDERS WHO CHARGING EXORBITANT 100% TO 150% INTEREST RATE ,FARMER HAVE DECIDED TO START "HALLOBOL AGITAION" BEFORE THE BANKS IN ORDER TO GET FRESH CROP LOAN FROM 18TH JUNE,2007,KISHOR TIWARI OF VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI INFORMED TODAY.
LAST YEAR INDIAN GOVT. WAIVED OFF OVER DUE INTEREST ON FARMERS BANK DEBT TO THE TUNE OF RS.710 CRORE AND RECONSTRUCTED CROP LOAN AMOUNTING RS.1860 CRORE BRINING AROUND ONE MILLION FARMERS UNDER INSTITUTIONAL CREDIT BUT DUE COTTON CROP FAILURE AND POOR MARKET PRICES FOR THE COTTON MORE THAN 90% FARMERS FAILED TO REPAY THE CROP LOAN. 'MORE THAN 3 MILLION VIDARBHA FARMERS ARE IN HUGE DEBT AND OVER DUE LOAN WAIVER IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO SAVE THESE DISTRESSED FARMER FROM SUICIDE'KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
'WHEN GOVT. CAN PAY RS.710 CRORE AS PART OF INTEREST ON UNPAID DEBT THEY PAY FARMERS DEBT TOO' VJAS LEADER DEMANDED.VIDARBHA FARMERS WILL SATRT AGITAION FROM 18TH JUNE-2007 IN ORDER TO PRESS THE MAIN DEMND OF LOAN WAIVER, INFORMED CJAS PRESS REALEASE.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Alleviating Rural Distress - Consultation Rounds
Dry Cow Therapy, Rural Distress, Indian Economists : New Agriculture Strategy
From Second Green Revolution to Milking the Cow Dry -
The concerned Indian Prime Minister, has been left searching for the right answers from all the agricultural experts, while his own Agriculture Minister ignores the suicides from his home state and manages the strings of the Indian cricket team, a job no doubt he loves more than finding answers to the task entrusted to him as Indian Agriculture Minister - saving farmers from rural distress.
Another case of Humpty Dumpty on the rural front, as Indians get busy with cricket season.
Even the Indian Sensex Minister is now feeling short changed, by the massive imports bills, deposited on his doorsteps, on the food front, which threaten to blow a hole through his economic strategy of industrial development and growth in Services sectors.
Soon after suggesting budgetary support and subsidies for sugar exporters, the Agriculture Minister has gone ahead on a global buying spree for wheat. He just does not seem to like Punjabi and Haryanvi wheat. It is not tasty enough for him or maybe a trifle too full of pesticides for even his liking.
In a bid to wash off the spots on the UPA governments Three Year Achievements, and what even the lacklustre opposition performance by the NDA could not accomplish, is being accomplished in the rural fields of Vidarbha and West Bengal.
Understandably, genuine Congress election strategists are worried.
Let us examine the content of the Prime Minister's concern about Indian rural distress, worded as it is in very general terms and coming on the heels of the three years of crowning achievements of the Central ruling UPA coalition and the electoral losses in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
In his directions to Planning Commission, Finance Minister and Cricket Minister he has pointed out :
1. Poor growth in farm output, at approximately 2%, is the main cause of agrarian and rural distress
2. There is need for focussing on short and medium term strategies for raising farm output
3. Burden of blame must be strategically be shared with states, as according to his understanding, the Central UPa government is having to face too much unnecessary criticism as being the most responsible player in the rural distress drama of Indian politicians and urban economists. The solution to this is seen as rewarding those states which come out with agrarian focussed programmes, agro climatic and local rural growth strategies, with possible budgetary support.
Surprisingly, the music of the old song of ushering in a Second Green Revolution, futures trading in commodities markets, contract farming, agro processing Special Export Zones, seems to have been lost in the wake of Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh debacles.
He has stated "I would only like to emphasise that whatever strategies we choose to adopt must deliver some results in the short and medium term, so that tangible benefits are visible - to farmers, consumers and the rural economy as a whole.
This is important if we have to avert any crisis in the agrarian sector and fulfil the needs of a growing economy."
All the king's horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again ... He directed the Planning Commission to come up with a major programme to enhance central support to those states that prepare localised plans.
This obviously means he is still not prepared to ask his heavy weight Cricket Minister to choose between Cricket, Food Imports or solving Agrarian Distress in his home state of Maharashtra.
The poor Finance Minister is keeping his cards close to his chest and will surely resist tooth and nail, attempts at further central aid to states because he himself knows the dubious record of states in preparing sensitive rural programmes of integrated development, as also knowing that further expansion of agricultural land exploitation is not feasible. Also known as the milking the dry cow therapy.
But the problem is who will be brave enougfh to bell the cat ?
Politics of Indian Farm Suicides - http://farmsuicides.blogspot.com/
From Second Green Revolution to Milking the Cow Dry -
The concerned Indian Prime Minister, has been left searching for the right answers from all the agricultural experts, while his own Agriculture Minister ignores the suicides from his home state and manages the strings of the Indian cricket team, a job no doubt he loves more than finding answers to the task entrusted to him as Indian Agriculture Minister - saving farmers from rural distress.
Another case of Humpty Dumpty on the rural front, as Indians get busy with cricket season.
Even the Indian Sensex Minister is now feeling short changed, by the massive imports bills, deposited on his doorsteps, on the food front, which threaten to blow a hole through his economic strategy of industrial development and growth in Services sectors.
Soon after suggesting budgetary support and subsidies for sugar exporters, the Agriculture Minister has gone ahead on a global buying spree for wheat. He just does not seem to like Punjabi and Haryanvi wheat. It is not tasty enough for him or maybe a trifle too full of pesticides for even his liking.
In a bid to wash off the spots on the UPA governments Three Year Achievements, and what even the lacklustre opposition performance by the NDA could not accomplish, is being accomplished in the rural fields of Vidarbha and West Bengal.
Understandably, genuine Congress election strategists are worried.
Let us examine the content of the Prime Minister's concern about Indian rural distress, worded as it is in very general terms and coming on the heels of the three years of crowning achievements of the Central ruling UPA coalition and the electoral losses in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
In his directions to Planning Commission, Finance Minister and Cricket Minister he has pointed out :
1. Poor growth in farm output, at approximately 2%, is the main cause of agrarian and rural distress
2. There is need for focussing on short and medium term strategies for raising farm output
3. Burden of blame must be strategically be shared with states, as according to his understanding, the Central UPa government is having to face too much unnecessary criticism as being the most responsible player in the rural distress drama of Indian politicians and urban economists. The solution to this is seen as rewarding those states which come out with agrarian focussed programmes, agro climatic and local rural growth strategies, with possible budgetary support.
Surprisingly, the music of the old song of ushering in a Second Green Revolution, futures trading in commodities markets, contract farming, agro processing Special Export Zones, seems to have been lost in the wake of Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh debacles.
He has stated "I would only like to emphasise that whatever strategies we choose to adopt must deliver some results in the short and medium term, so that tangible benefits are visible - to farmers, consumers and the rural economy as a whole.
This is important if we have to avert any crisis in the agrarian sector and fulfil the needs of a growing economy."
All the king's horses and all the kings men, couldn't put Humpty together again ... He directed the Planning Commission to come up with a major programme to enhance central support to those states that prepare localised plans.
This obviously means he is still not prepared to ask his heavy weight Cricket Minister to choose between Cricket, Food Imports or solving Agrarian Distress in his home state of Maharashtra.
The poor Finance Minister is keeping his cards close to his chest and will surely resist tooth and nail, attempts at further central aid to states because he himself knows the dubious record of states in preparing sensitive rural programmes of integrated development, as also knowing that further expansion of agricultural land exploitation is not feasible. Also known as the milking the dry cow therapy.
But the problem is who will be brave enougfh to bell the cat ?
Politics of Indian Farm Suicides - http://farmsuicides.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
New Farm Strategy - Tale of Three Economists
Food Policy Group – http://www.groups.google.com/group/foodpolicy
Buniyad Group - http://www.groups.google.com/group/buniyad
Dear Devinder,
1. I saw your interview on DoorDarshan regarding the New Thrust to Agricultural Policy and Prime Minister directives to Planning Commission for next 5 Year Plan.
2. I was happy to note that the rhetoric of Second Green Revolution was not being bandied about even though the suggestions of pushing ball into the court of states was seemingly indicative of the humility of the Emperor’s courtiers, in the face of twin failures of presiding over agrarian crisis and falling production levels.
But what essentially are the details of this new strategy ?
And what role is Sharad Pawar playing in all this ?
This needs to be closely followed.
Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Wall and all the Kings Horses and all the King’s Men ----- couldn’t put Humpty together again.
3. The focus now seems to be on empty agricultural productivity targets and how falling agricultural production is seen as a gaping hole in the Strategies of the Urban Economists like Montek Singh Ahluwahlia and Chidambaram.
So who will do the farming, mahila kisans ? The Left was conspicuously silent. They have no role to play ?
I think time is ripe for building political networks of youth leadership, who can take on such facile arguments.
4. No mention was made of separating Food Ministry from Agriculture Ministry, much as I would like to see this development. In my opinion this is essential.
http://foodminister.blogspot.com/
I would also like to see the concept of a separate Kisan Budget taking shape. - http://www.kisanbudget.blogspot.com/
5. I was also extremely disappointed to see the quality of arguments of Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices Prof T. Haque.
Was this luminary really serious about propagating the theory of interlinking of national rivers and canals ?
Such patently absurd theoreticians are in charge of agricultural research, extension and praxis ? Six Blind Men of Hindoostan ….
No wonder Americans are being invited to reinvent Indian agriculture.
Just a few comments !!
Nagarjuna
Editor - IFP
Indian Food Policy
Web : www.foodpolicy.in
Articles, Analysis : http://www.foodpolicy.in/html/blogs/blogs.htm
WFP - www.worldfoodpolicy.org
Reports - http://www.worldfoodpolicy.org/html/reports/reports.htm
Prescriptions for Indian Farmers - http://merakisan.blogspot.com/
Unpatented Brilliant Ideas - http://nopatent.blogspot.com/
Mahila Kisan - http://mahilakisan.blogspot.com/
Kisan Mantri - http://kisanmantri.blogspot.com/
Buniyad Group - http://www.groups.google.com/group/buniyad
Dear Devinder,
1. I saw your interview on DoorDarshan regarding the New Thrust to Agricultural Policy and Prime Minister directives to Planning Commission for next 5 Year Plan.
2. I was happy to note that the rhetoric of Second Green Revolution was not being bandied about even though the suggestions of pushing ball into the court of states was seemingly indicative of the humility of the Emperor’s courtiers, in the face of twin failures of presiding over agrarian crisis and falling production levels.
But what essentially are the details of this new strategy ?
And what role is Sharad Pawar playing in all this ?
This needs to be closely followed.
Humpty Dumpty Sat on the Wall and all the Kings Horses and all the King’s Men ----- couldn’t put Humpty together again.
3. The focus now seems to be on empty agricultural productivity targets and how falling agricultural production is seen as a gaping hole in the Strategies of the Urban Economists like Montek Singh Ahluwahlia and Chidambaram.
So who will do the farming, mahila kisans ? The Left was conspicuously silent. They have no role to play ?
I think time is ripe for building political networks of youth leadership, who can take on such facile arguments.
4. No mention was made of separating Food Ministry from Agriculture Ministry, much as I would like to see this development. In my opinion this is essential.
http://foodminister.blogspot.com/
I would also like to see the concept of a separate Kisan Budget taking shape. - http://www.kisanbudget.blogspot.com/
5. I was also extremely disappointed to see the quality of arguments of Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices Prof T. Haque.
Was this luminary really serious about propagating the theory of interlinking of national rivers and canals ?
Such patently absurd theoreticians are in charge of agricultural research, extension and praxis ? Six Blind Men of Hindoostan ….
No wonder Americans are being invited to reinvent Indian agriculture.
Just a few comments !!
Nagarjuna
Editor - IFP
Indian Food Policy
Web : www.foodpolicy.in
Articles, Analysis : http://www.foodpolicy.in/html/blogs/blogs.htm
WFP - www.worldfoodpolicy.org
Reports - http://www.worldfoodpolicy.org/html/reports/reports.htm
Prescriptions for Indian Farmers - http://merakisan.blogspot.com/
Unpatented Brilliant Ideas - http://nopatent.blogspot.com/
Mahila Kisan - http://mahilakisan.blogspot.com/
Kisan Mantri - http://kisanmantri.blogspot.com/
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