In response to growing farmer demand in Maharashtra to replicate the Telangana Model of development with a special focus on farmer welfare, the Eknath Shinde government on Tuesday promised to form a committee to look into the feasibility of implementing 24×7 power supply to the farming community along the lines of Telangana, in addition to initiating farmer-oriented schemes such as Rythu Bandhu.
This was announced following a nearly two-hour meeting on Tuesday in Mumbai between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and leaders of 14 farmers’ unions. State Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar Nabi, as well as Secretaries of Electricity, Revenue, Agriculture, and other departments, attended the meeting. The farmers’ union leaders included Vinayakrao Patil, who recently staged a hunger strike asking fo the implementation of the Telangana Model, apart from Raju Shetti, Panjabrao Patil and Sikandar Shah.
The government has promised to form a committee to examine Telangana’s farmer-friendly programs. It will also give the committee one month to submit its report, according to Vinayakrao Patil.
The committee will be made up of representatives from farmer unions and senior state government officials. He stated that the Maharashtra government would be given ample time to study and investigate all possibilities, including the costs associated with implementing the schemes.
“However, if we are not convinced with the committee’s report, we will launch agitations again. We will not back down until Telangana’s schemes are implemented in Maharashtra,” Vinayakrao Patil said, saying that the government would disclose details of the committee in a couple of days.
During the meeting, farmer union leaders demanded 24 hour power supply for farmers, the implementation of an input subsidy scheme similar to Telangana’s Rythu Bandhu, insurance coverage for farmers similar to Telangana’s Rythu Bima, a monthly pension of Rs.5000 for farmers over the age of 65, and a better Minimum Support Price for farm produce similar to Telangana.
“A pan shop owner sells a pan with some profit but a farmer does not have any scope to earn from profits. A strong demand was made to announce an MSP with some profit margin, covering the production cost of the farmers,” Vinayakrao Patil said.
Farmers’ unions have also decided to hold an all-party meeting soon to discuss these issues, particularly the implementation of Telangana’s schemes in Maharashtra, according to Patil, who refers to himself as a Kisan Jihadi and says he is not affiliated to any political party.
Former MLA and BRS Maharashtra leader Shankar Anna Dhondge expressed hope that the meeting and assurance would not be a diversionary tactic, and that he, like other farmers in Maharashtra, hoped that the government would be committed to addressing farmers’ issues this time.
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