Congress party has started a helpline (04071012200) for distressed farmers in Maharashtra.
According to a Congress worker, in the last three days, the helpline has received nearly 17,000 calls. The party expects a lakh phone calls by month end.
"The number is toll free. We have circulated it among all district Congress offices and it's being displayed at landmark locations. We have decided to collect farmers' grievances. They are going through difficult times as the state is not extending them possible helps. The relief package announced has not yet reached affected farmers. It's because of their financial misery that they are committing suicide. In the last one year, over 400 farmers have committed suicide," said Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.
He said the party would compile all details about farmers and their grievances and submit it to the chief minister.
"Farmers are in deep trouble. If the government does not intervene, more of them will committee suicide," said Sawant, a senior Congress leader. The January programme is to convince farmers not to take their life, he added.
"There are many corporate houses which are on the list of defaulters (of various banks). Their debt amount is over Rs 50,000cr. However, not one of them has taken his life. Farmers should learn from these people. We appeal to the government to waive farmers' loans. If farmers are not compensated, the entire economy will stagnate," said Nanasaheb Patil, farmer leader and president, Shetkari Sangharsh Samiti, welcoming the Congress helpline.
"Congress was in power except for a few years since independence; what have they done for farmers?" asked Nanasaheb Patil. Actually, government's wrong policies and untimely help are the reasons why farmers are in dire straits now. No one wants to take up farming as his profession," Patil added.
Dinesh Jadhav, a farmer from Jalgaon, said it was good that someone was doing something for farmers. "However, it's all superfluous. No one goes deep into farmers' problems. Unless that happens, farmer suicides would continue. Agriculture policies have to be completely overhauled. Farming should become governments' priority sector and should be funded adequately. New technology and horticulture have to be introduced to pull farmers out of the present mire," Jadhav added.
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