Farmers to go to court over bounced cheques

Washim (Maharashtra), Aug 31: A year after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a special package for the debt ridden farmers in some parts of the country, the farmers are now planning to go to the court after their compensation cheques bounced.

Cheques were distributed to the farmers under a relief package but have failed to cash, leaving the farmers angry and frustrated.

They complain that the cheques given to them by the Government failed to cash twice or thrice even thrice.

"I lost my crops to floods last year. I received a cheque of rupees 350 rupees as a compensation for it. The cheque bounced twice. I am not going to take the prank they are playing with me lightly. I will go to the court against them," said Bhaurao Ingole, a farmer.

Singh had announced a package of over 37.50 billion rupees as relief to the debt-driven farmers of Vidarbha region of western Maharasthra.

Since then around 500 farmers in six districts --Amaravati, Akola, Washim, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Wardha-in the region have committed suicide.

However, the officials in the region were not able to give any specific reason for dishonouring the cheques.

"Some farmers deposited the cheque after six months of receipt. That's why it bounced for the first time. It is our mistake that it bounced for the second time as well. We are investigating why it bounced for the second time. We are trying to provide relief to the farmers as soon as possible," said Ashok Khandarkar, regional agriculture officer.

Suicides in Maharashtra, especially in the Vidarbha region, had crossed the 900 mark in 2006, despite highly publicised efforts by New Delhi to ease their financial burden.

ANI
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