Manmohan Singh will be visiting Vidarbha on June 30 to get a first-hand view of the agrarian crisis affecting the region's cotton farmers.
NAGPUR: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be visiting Vidarbha on June 30 to get a first-hand view of the agrarian crisis affecting the region's cotton farmers.
Though the modalities are still being worked out, the Prime Minister is likely to visit villages in Yavatmal and Wardha districts, sources said. These districts have been among the worst hit by farmer suicides. The Prime Minister on his day- long tour will hold separate meetings with state government officials and farmers' groups.
Sources in the know say the PM is "disturbed" by the continuing spell of suicides by farmers. Vidarbha saw close to 550 peasants taking their own lives in the agriculture season between June 2005 and May 2006. Meanwhile, the new kharif season that commenced on June 1, has already witnessed over 20 farmer suicides in the region.
Alarmed by the rising death toll, the PM had sent a fact-finding committee of the Planning Commission earlier this year. 15 study panels constituted by the state and central governments have also toured the region in the last one year and submitted their reports. This is in addition to the scores of independent research and study groups that have also been carried out.
Also, last October the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) presided over by the country's ace agriculture scientist Professor M S Swaminathan had toured the region. A voluminous and extensive report on the state of farmers was submitted with key short term and long term recommendations by NCF. The governments have not yet followed any of those recommendations.
Against this backdrop, the PM's high-profile visit is being viewed as significant and looked at with much curiosity.
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