VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMALA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846. vidarbha@gmail.com
REF: - FARMER'S credit CRY URGENT-PRESS NOTE DATED-17th June, 2007
Ø As Banks Call Off Credit Honeymoon For Farmers In Vidarbha Region More Debt Trapped Farmers Commits Suicides-Thousands Of Farmers To start "HALLABOL AGITATION" FOR FRESH CROP LOAN From 18th June.
Ø Farmers' Demands Loan Waiver And Five Year Credit Plan For Farming Finance.
Ø Banks Committee Resolves To Cut Lending Finance To Vidarbha Farmers - Private Monylenders To Suck Blood Of Reeling Farmers: It's Apathy Of Mr.Chidambaram, Fm-Goi To Allow Banks To Push Farmers To Commit Sucides! - KISHORE TIWARI.
NAGPUR-17th June 2007
When Indian finance minister submitted his annual budget for year 2007-08, it was warmly welcomed as "agriculture budget" but in result as per order of NABARD bankers association has taken decision to suddenly drop down the credit outlay for vidarbha cotton farmers .as reported the credit bonanza for farmers in Vidarbha seems to be over. After aggressive lending in the previous fiscal, the credit allocation targets set under the annual credit plan for 2007-08 for six districts of Vidarbha show a steep decline. Incidentally, these are the districts that have been reporting maximum farm suicides and where farmers' dependence on illegal money-lenders has been one of the root causes.
Credit lending targets for six districts have been revised downwards compared to last year, as per recent decision of bankers association. In 2005-06 fiscal, banks disbursed credit of Rs 765 crore in six districts. But thanks to the PM's package, the crop credit shot up to Rs 2,033 crore in the last fiscal. The current plan, however, allocates only Rs 1,683 crore for crop credit For instance, Yavatmal district, which has reported maximum suicides, has been earmarked a target of only Rs 434.96 crore which is almost a 30% decline from its 2006-07 target. Washim district shows a decline of 41%, Akola 36%, and Buldhana 38%, against the previous fiscal's targets. District credit plans have been finalised on the basis of broad guidelines prepared by NABARD.
THOUSANDS OF FARMERS TO "HALLABOL AGITATION" FOR FRESH CROP LOAN FROM 18TH JUNE.
The reported decision of NABARD that "The decline in credit allocation targets is surprising in the context of Centre's directives to banks to double flow of credit to the agriculture sector in three years starting 2004-05," VJAS leader kishor tiwari informed .vidarbha farmers wills strongly protest and we will not only restore credit outlay to rs.3, 300 crore but will have loan waiver too, kishor tiwari added.
Thousands farmers of west vidarbha will start "HALLABOL AGITATION" all NABARD controlled banks demanding fresh crop loan to every defaulter farmers will over due loan waiver ,kishor tiwari said.
It is complete injustice with west dying cotton farmers as most of the growth in priority sector lending has gone to districts in Western Maharashtra and Marathwada, largely due to SHARAD PAWAR NCP base regions as compared to Vidarbha. For instance, Pune gets a 91% rise in its credit allocation target. NABARD is acting against the agriculture sector plan for six districts of Vidarbha was prepared based on the last three years' trend though an upward revision of Rs 1,275 crore was made specially under the PM's relief package during 2006-07."The PM's package, among other factors, rightly appreciated lack of an extensive network of formal credit in Vidarbha as one of the root causes of suicides. Cutting down on credit allocations for this reason amounts to punishing Vidarbha for being chosen for the PM's package, now cotton farmers are left at mercy of private money Leander inviting more farm suicides.
Now time has come for separating vidarbha state from maharashtra due complete contrast in fiscal condition and increasing backlog of region and we will press this demand in future too if we are being neglected and forced to kill ourselves ,kishor tiwari added.
Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti
Email : vidarbha@gmail.com
Contact - 094221 08846
Showing posts with label vidarbha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vidarbha. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Banks Loan Recovery Operations in Vidarbha
While the IAS bureaucrats in charge of Relief operations in Vidarbha, like Shri Sudhir Kumar Goyal, are vigourously denying, forcible recovery of loans, from indebted and defaulting cotton farmers in Vidarbha, by banks and private money lenders, Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti alleges that most of the farmers were the victims of ongoing loan recovery drive of the banks.
The much hyped Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh's Vidarbha Relief package, had promised the farmers would get at least one year moratorium on recovery of loans.
However, it seems the Loan Recovery Operations picture on the ground is starkly different. Shri Goyal has already stated that "no government on earth can subsidize 60% of the farmers".
All bank managers have loan recovery targets, and are busy forcefully recovering outstanding amounts from farmers using new techniques and methods.
It now seems the banks have decided to collude with state-run Cotton Marketing Cooperative Federation, the main cotton procurer in Vidarbha, during selling of raw cotton.
Moreover, banks have also launched their loan recovery drive knowing that the Vidarbha cotton farmers are drinking water from a leaking cup.
In the face of this double bind of seeing the daily dance of death in his districts, between helpless farmers and Congress politicians, the Relief Commissioner has donned the cap of a philosopher, and is busy advocating to the media, that the high cost of agro-inputs and meagre price of raw cotton produce, is to blaim for the misery of suicidal farmers.
How long this situation will last, and a new Relief Commissioner takes charge from him, remains to be seen.
The much hyped Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh's Vidarbha Relief package, had promised the farmers would get at least one year moratorium on recovery of loans.
However, it seems the Loan Recovery Operations picture on the ground is starkly different. Shri Goyal has already stated that "no government on earth can subsidize 60% of the farmers".
All bank managers have loan recovery targets, and are busy forcefully recovering outstanding amounts from farmers using new techniques and methods.
It now seems the banks have decided to collude with state-run Cotton Marketing Cooperative Federation, the main cotton procurer in Vidarbha, during selling of raw cotton.
Moreover, banks have also launched their loan recovery drive knowing that the Vidarbha cotton farmers are drinking water from a leaking cup.
In the face of this double bind of seeing the daily dance of death in his districts, between helpless farmers and Congress politicians, the Relief Commissioner has donned the cap of a philosopher, and is busy advocating to the media, that the high cost of agro-inputs and meagre price of raw cotton produce, is to blaim for the misery of suicidal farmers.
How long this situation will last, and a new Relief Commissioner takes charge from him, remains to be seen.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Bureaucrats Shed Crocodile Tears in Vidarbha
The recent interview given by Shri Sudhir Kumar Goyal, Divisional Commissioner, Incharge Relief, Amravati, Maharashtra, shows that politicians are pressing the bureaucrats into action for fire fighting in Vidarbha.
Shri Goyal has tried to shed a few tears, for suicidal cotton farmers, of Vidarbha, and rattled off figures of how much interest waivure, has been provided to the farmers on their loans. He says no government in the world can subsidize 60% farmers. He however, is pointedly silent on why these loans were advanced to farmers in the first place if cultivating cotton in Vidarbha is such a risky proposition. Did the ministers, government departments and senior responsible officers,not know that cultivating resource intensive cotton in Vidarbha is a risky proposition ?
I wish to point out some of the cotton export figures of India for the period January 2006 - September 2006 to show how Shri Goyal is trying to deflect attention from governmental dishonesty.
US Imports from India : Rise in percentage from previous year in same period -
1. Textiles and Apparel : 16.75% rise
2. Yarns : 136.96% rise
3. Fabrics : 27.36% rise
4. MadeUps : 8.53% rise
5. Apparel : 11.32% rise
6. Cotton Yarn : 209.66%
7. Cotton Fabrics : 22.11% rise
8. Blue Denim : 351% rise
9. Knit Fabrics : 150% rise
10. Cotton Hosiery : 358% rise
11. Cotton Bed Linen : 25.15% rise
12. Terry Towels : 47% rise
13. Cotton Apparel : 17.30% rise
Category Jan/Sep 2005 Jan/Sep 2006 %change % share in World Total for Jan/Sep 2006
World 300 364.656 336.993 -7.59 100.00
301 452.106 480.383 6.25 100.00
Total 816.762 817.376 0.08 100.00
India 300 5.301 8.828 66.53 2.62
301 15.628 62.520 300.06 13.01
Total 20.929 71.348 240.90 8.73
China 300 1.703 8.926 424.16 2.65
301 16.703 5.164 -69.08 1.07
Total 18.406 14.090 -23.45 1.72
Pakistan 300 157.856 166.951 5.76 49.54
301 131.361 145.280 10.60 30.24
Total 289.217 312.231 7.96 38.20
300 – Carded cotton yarn; 301 -- Combed cotton yarn
Conversion factor: 8.5 SME = 1 Kg.
The TEXPROCIL informs us "It is remarkable that Indian imports have grown from 5.301 MSME to 8.828 MSME. This performance is all the more commendable because in a falling market, India has shown a growth and that too when in the corresponding period of the previous year, the performance was meagre.."
"..The growth in case of India for Combed cotton yarn (Category 301) is tremendous rising from 15.628 MSME to 62.520 MSME. Looked at differently, the growth in imports of this product from all sources has been to the extent of 28.277 MSME of which the maximum has been on account of imports from India alone. Compared to this, imports from China have declined by 69%.."
Does Shri Goyal think that Indian cotton farmers are so foolish, as to accept his prescriptions regarding the reasons for their suicides ? How can he even think of insulting the cotton farmers of Vidarbha like this, in the face of the strong surge in Indian cotton exports ? Maybe with such intellectually dishonest bureaucrats, to look after them, the Vidarbha cotton farmers are better off having no hope rather than listen to such patently absurd agricultural prescriptions.
Incredible India. The only country where bureaucrats in the garb of Relief Commissioners have the job of giving sugar coated pills to farmers, instead of bitter medicine.
If Indian cotton exports, are doing so well in US markets, even against suppliers like China and Pakistan, why are the cotton growers of Vidarbha only only facing the prospects of suicides and sugar coated pills from senior bureaucrats shedding crocodile tears ?
Check out the cotton export figures for yourself and ask Shri Goyal what new story he wants to tell Vidarbha farmers ? - http://www.texprocil.com/monthly/usaqty_sep06.doc
Shri Goyal claims that the cotton farmer has become a bonded labourer on his own farm who cannot afford to even pay wages. The real answer he does not provide is whose bonded labourer is the Vidarbha cotton farmer ? Who is benefitting from the bondage of the Vidarbha farmer ?
But then maybe, Shri Goyal is after all, fire fighting on somebody else's behalf, and is just trying to concoct excuses and stories for his political masters. After all, everyone has to earn a living.
Shri Goyal has tried to shed a few tears, for suicidal cotton farmers, of Vidarbha, and rattled off figures of how much interest waivure, has been provided to the farmers on their loans. He says no government in the world can subsidize 60% farmers. He however, is pointedly silent on why these loans were advanced to farmers in the first place if cultivating cotton in Vidarbha is such a risky proposition. Did the ministers, government departments and senior responsible officers,not know that cultivating resource intensive cotton in Vidarbha is a risky proposition ?
I wish to point out some of the cotton export figures of India for the period January 2006 - September 2006 to show how Shri Goyal is trying to deflect attention from governmental dishonesty.
US Imports from India : Rise in percentage from previous year in same period -
1. Textiles and Apparel : 16.75% rise
2. Yarns : 136.96% rise
3. Fabrics : 27.36% rise
4. MadeUps : 8.53% rise
5. Apparel : 11.32% rise
6. Cotton Yarn : 209.66%
7. Cotton Fabrics : 22.11% rise
8. Blue Denim : 351% rise
9. Knit Fabrics : 150% rise
10. Cotton Hosiery : 358% rise
11. Cotton Bed Linen : 25.15% rise
12. Terry Towels : 47% rise
13. Cotton Apparel : 17.30% rise
Category Jan/Sep 2005 Jan/Sep 2006 %change % share in World Total for Jan/Sep 2006
World 300 364.656 336.993 -7.59 100.00
301 452.106 480.383 6.25 100.00
Total 816.762 817.376 0.08 100.00
India 300 5.301 8.828 66.53 2.62
301 15.628 62.520 300.06 13.01
Total 20.929 71.348 240.90 8.73
China 300 1.703 8.926 424.16 2.65
301 16.703 5.164 -69.08 1.07
Total 18.406 14.090 -23.45 1.72
Pakistan 300 157.856 166.951 5.76 49.54
301 131.361 145.280 10.60 30.24
Total 289.217 312.231 7.96 38.20
300 – Carded cotton yarn; 301 -- Combed cotton yarn
Conversion factor: 8.5 SME = 1 Kg.
The TEXPROCIL informs us "It is remarkable that Indian imports have grown from 5.301 MSME to 8.828 MSME. This performance is all the more commendable because in a falling market, India has shown a growth and that too when in the corresponding period of the previous year, the performance was meagre.."
"..The growth in case of India for Combed cotton yarn (Category 301) is tremendous rising from 15.628 MSME to 62.520 MSME. Looked at differently, the growth in imports of this product from all sources has been to the extent of 28.277 MSME of which the maximum has been on account of imports from India alone. Compared to this, imports from China have declined by 69%.."
Does Shri Goyal think that Indian cotton farmers are so foolish, as to accept his prescriptions regarding the reasons for their suicides ? How can he even think of insulting the cotton farmers of Vidarbha like this, in the face of the strong surge in Indian cotton exports ? Maybe with such intellectually dishonest bureaucrats, to look after them, the Vidarbha cotton farmers are better off having no hope rather than listen to such patently absurd agricultural prescriptions.
Incredible India. The only country where bureaucrats in the garb of Relief Commissioners have the job of giving sugar coated pills to farmers, instead of bitter medicine.
If Indian cotton exports, are doing so well in US markets, even against suppliers like China and Pakistan, why are the cotton growers of Vidarbha only only facing the prospects of suicides and sugar coated pills from senior bureaucrats shedding crocodile tears ?
Check out the cotton export figures for yourself and ask Shri Goyal what new story he wants to tell Vidarbha farmers ? - http://www.texprocil.com/monthly/usaqty_sep06.doc
Shri Goyal claims that the cotton farmer has become a bonded labourer on his own farm who cannot afford to even pay wages. The real answer he does not provide is whose bonded labourer is the Vidarbha cotton farmer ? Who is benefitting from the bondage of the Vidarbha farmer ?
But then maybe, Shri Goyal is after all, fire fighting on somebody else's behalf, and is just trying to concoct excuses and stories for his political masters. After all, everyone has to earn a living.
Friday, February 16, 2007
No government on earth can subsidize 60% Farmers
Dr Sudhir Kumar Goyal, Divisional Commissioner, Relief, Amravati, in an interview, has said that immediate relief had been given to farmers where interest worth Rs 782 cores had been waived off. But the entire loan cannot be waived. "Subsidies are given. But no government on earth can give subsidy to 60% of its farmers."
The Vidarbha farmers have been given fresh loans, which Dr Goel said was three times more than in the past.
This is called "singing a tune as per the ears of the listener". This is a sure indication that Congress political bigwigs are beginning to wake up to the rural crisis in Vidarbha and are being given instructions to dirty their white cotton linen kurtas and designer goggles. Politicians are now instructing bureaucrats to begin to appear reasonable and avoid the image of apathy and callous behaviour towards farmers.
After years of hiding the facts, then cautiously being forced to admit it, in the face of rising media pressure, local government officials have begun to sing a different from the tune that is being sung by the Indian Prime Minister, the Sensex Minister and the Cricket Ministers.
Let us see in which direction, the issue of Indian farm suicides heads now. Congress cannot risk an electoral rout in Vidarbha. It is now a matter of time before top Congress think tanks begin to look at the issue of agrarian suicides. And yes, they will first ask the Indian bureaucracy to shoulder the blame rather than take the blame on faulty agricultural prescriptions of last six decades which skim rural surplus for industrial subsidization.
Attempts will now be made to blame the plight of Vidarbha farmers, on faulty implementation of the Vidarbha package announced by the Prime Minister.
The real question not being asked is why, when the richest consumers on earth are shifting to wearing cotton, cotton growers in India are committing suicides.
Linen suits retail for Rs 8000, and cotton trousers are retailing in Western markets for Rs 2500.
The WTO Multi Fibre Agreement is rolled out and yet the Vidarbha cotton growers are suffering.
Should they not have been the richest farmers in the world by now ?
Is the Divisional Commissioner of Amravati not still talking on behalf of his masters and trying to sell a new story to the cotton farmers of Vidarbha ?
We will now hear many different perspectives on why farmers are committing suicides but people are still not ready to do a stock taking of the last six decades of New Delhi and Mumbai backed plunder of Indian rural areas.
The Vidarbha farmers have been given fresh loans, which Dr Goel said was three times more than in the past.
This is called "singing a tune as per the ears of the listener". This is a sure indication that Congress political bigwigs are beginning to wake up to the rural crisis in Vidarbha and are being given instructions to dirty their white cotton linen kurtas and designer goggles. Politicians are now instructing bureaucrats to begin to appear reasonable and avoid the image of apathy and callous behaviour towards farmers.
After years of hiding the facts, then cautiously being forced to admit it, in the face of rising media pressure, local government officials have begun to sing a different from the tune that is being sung by the Indian Prime Minister, the Sensex Minister and the Cricket Ministers.
Let us see in which direction, the issue of Indian farm suicides heads now. Congress cannot risk an electoral rout in Vidarbha. It is now a matter of time before top Congress think tanks begin to look at the issue of agrarian suicides. And yes, they will first ask the Indian bureaucracy to shoulder the blame rather than take the blame on faulty agricultural prescriptions of last six decades which skim rural surplus for industrial subsidization.
Attempts will now be made to blame the plight of Vidarbha farmers, on faulty implementation of the Vidarbha package announced by the Prime Minister.
The real question not being asked is why, when the richest consumers on earth are shifting to wearing cotton, cotton growers in India are committing suicides.
Linen suits retail for Rs 8000, and cotton trousers are retailing in Western markets for Rs 2500.
The WTO Multi Fibre Agreement is rolled out and yet the Vidarbha cotton growers are suffering.
Should they not have been the richest farmers in the world by now ?
Is the Divisional Commissioner of Amravati not still talking on behalf of his masters and trying to sell a new story to the cotton farmers of Vidarbha ?
We will now hear many different perspectives on why farmers are committing suicides but people are still not ready to do a stock taking of the last six decades of New Delhi and Mumbai backed plunder of Indian rural areas.
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