CM surprised over suicides in Vidarbha, not from Marathwada

Pune, Oct 27 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh here today said that it was surprising that farmers from only one region committed suicides while the plight of farmers in Marathwada is equally distressing.

The Chief Minister was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the IT-BT conference. He was replying to a query regarding the state government's proposal for holding yoga and spiritual training sessions for distressed farmers. When asked about the usefulness of the practice, the Chief Minister replied, ''it is for the farmers mental balance, it is only in one region that so many suicides are happening while in places like Marathwada they are similarly placed,'' he said. When asked about the policy of land acquisition and providing employment to farmers, the Chief Minister said, ''sons of the soil'' must get preference for jobs or atleast one member in the family that has given its land, be given training for employment in the IT sector.

The Chief Minister reiteriated that only waste lands would be acquired and farmers will be compensated according to the market price. He was retorting about farmers agitation at Mann taluka against land acquition in the fourth phase at Hingewadi. He said that facilities could come up earlier if the State Government scraps the Urban Land Ceiling Act. This was necessary for getting funds under the JNNURM Scheme of the Central Government.

When asked about Pune International Airport, the Chief Minister said that it was for the Civil Aviation department to look into the matter but land in Rajguru Nagar has been earmarked for the airport.

To another query about the tranfer of Chairman and Managing Director of MSEDCL, Sanjay Bhatia, Mr Deshmukh defended the action terming it a routine transfer. When prodded whether Bhatia was transferred over electricity being disconnected at his official residence in Nagpur, Deshmukh said, ''It was fine to discharge ones duties but the attending official should also inform the Chief Ministers office in advance.'' UNI DWN MJ MQA BS1932