The farmers’ organisations in Maharashtra, again protested on Friday, against the slow implementation of loan waiver package, by throwing fruits, vegetables, and milk outside the Collector and Revenue Department offices.

They had commenced their protest on November 1 by shutting down power feeders and locking out offices of State government controlled utility Mahadiscom.

The farmers led by Kisan Sabha and Shetakari Sangthana and its core committee has been protesting against the slow implementation of the loan waiver package, disconnection of power to agriculture pumps and difficult eligibility criteria for availing loan waivers.

Fair price Convenor of the steering committee, Ajit Navale said that the protest is primarily aimed at the farmers getting a fair price for their produce and loan waiver being provided to all the 89 lakh farmers in the State. Currently, a large number of farmers cannot avail the loan waivers package because the waiver conditions are so stringent that they are hard to comply, he said.

Navale pointed that procurement process of buying the crops of the farmer in Maharashtra is riddled with corruption and malpractices. Therefore the current method must be replaced by a method, which is currently practiced in Madhya Pradesh, where the State Government rather procuring the farm goods, pays to the farmers directly the price difference between the market rate and Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP). The payment to the farmers is made into their bank accounts.

He added that a pilot project for a few crops should be started by the State Government. By paying the price differential the State Government will also save money in terms of manpower and warehousing costs, which it incurs for procuring the farm produce.

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