Vidarbha farm widows await concrete steps by Modi on agrarian

, May 27: Hundreds of farm widows from Vidarbha have huge expectations of a relief and rehabilitation package from the newly-elected BJP government at the Centre to combat the agrarian crisis in the region.

Some widows who were indirectly a part of 'Chai Pe Charcha' on March 9 this year at village Dabhadi of Vidarbha region during the election campaign, have brought to notice core issues like cost, credit and crop failure resulting in deep distress and despair among farmers.

Farm widows have urged Narendra Modi to provide a special integrated relief and rehabilitation package as early as possible after assuming office.

Bebitai Bais President Vidarbha Farm Widows Association (VFWA) said, "More than 10,000 innocent people affected by Vidarbha agrarian crisis due to crop failure of their main cash crop cotton and poor market price since 2004 have seen an era of farm suicides, which is spiralling. Those affected are still awaiting relief of family pension, land right restoration ,food-health and education security and right to live with respect and dignity. We hope Modiji will provide the much needed healing touch as promised in the manifesto," farm widow of KBC fame Aprana Malikar and Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti said in a communication here.

The Samiti has urged adoption of minimum support price (MSP) formula recommended by the National Commission of Farmers and also keep promises of giving fresh crop loan to crisis ridden, debt trapped and distressed farmers.

They are also expecting that the Centre will revamp the mechanism of fixing MSP acknowledging that farmers are not benefiting by the current policy. We hope the long pending demand of cotton farmers will be fulfilled but the experience of cotton farmers in the last NDA government was disappointing as it allowed free import of more than 20 million cotton bales and entry of MNCs in the agriculture sector in the name technology, Tiwari added.

PTI