While the state is suffering from a shortage of food grain, the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine continues to give a subsidy to 25 distilleries that make alcohol from grain.
While the state is suffering from a shortage of food grain, the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine continues to give a subsidy to 25 distilleries that make alcohol from grain.
Chetan Kamble, leader of the Bhimshakti Vichar Manch, has filed a petition against the state government to stop not only the subsidy but the supply of food grain to such distilleries.
“Grains being used to make alcohol can be used to feed the poor,” Kamble said. “The government should feel ashamed!” The subsidy scheme was started in 2001-02 during Vilasrao Deshmukh's tenure as chief minister to encourage farmers to grow food crops. But, according to Kamble, small farmers are not benefiting from the scheme. He said that when Deshmukh extended the scheme to Marathwada, the region he hails from, the first project was given to his son Amit.
“Politicians and leaders are benefiting from this scheme, not the poor farmer,” Kamble alleged in his petition. “If you read the names, they are Govindrao Adik and his son, Mansingh Fatehsingh Naik, KV Rajeshwar Rao, Gopinath Munde's daughter Pankaja Munde-Palwe, and Vimal Mundada.”
The Shiv Sena raised the issue in the assembly on Friday. While the government admitted that the scheme may need to be scrapped, chief minister Ashok Chavan claimed that too much investment had been made in the distilleries. "Many people have invested crores of rupees and it is difficult to scrap the scheme at this stage,” Chavan told DNA. “However, since Maharashtra is facing a major food grain crunch, we are going to suspend all new projects to make alcohol from grains.”
But Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena spokesperson, said, "There is no harm in stopping the supply of food grain to existing plants. The government can call experts to see how the machinery can be used for other purposes and if the alcohol can be made from other
produce.”
(With inputs from Jaideep Hardikar)
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