Dharia rejects Deshmukh's appeal to end fast

Pune, Nov 15: Vetern Socialist leader Mohan Dharia, who has undertaken an indefinite fast since yesterday to highlight the plight of farmers, today rejected Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's appeal to end the fast.

Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister's Office(CMO) U C Sarangi told reporters here that he had come specially with a message from the Chief Minister.''We are very concerned about Mr Dharia's health and it must not deteriorate. The Chief Minister has requested that the fast be broken as the Central Government has already constituted a committee to look into the issue and the committee will submit its report by the month end.

However, Mr Dharia, 82 refused to end the fast till all his demands were met.

He has demanded immediate waiver of loans and accruing interest of farmers owning less than 2 hectares of land, facilities for farmers in drought prone areas irrespective of the size of their farm lands, declaration of money lenders, activities of giving loans to farmers at high rates of interest as 'illegal' and police protection given to such farmers. Further, the rate of interest on loans given to farmers should be reduced to 4 per cent, he said.

UNI

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