'Identify farmers who genuinely need help'

  • | Friday | 21st April, 2017

NASHIK: Member of state coordination committee of Kisanputra Andolan Amar Habib on Thursday suggested the state government to identify farmers, who are genuinely in distress, and help them. Alleging that politicians do not have any interest in strengthening genuine farmers, he said poor farmers are no one's vote bank. There is a political understanding between politicians and they are defending their vote bank," Habib pointed out.On providing monetary help to farmers, Habib said that farmers, who pay Income Tax, or farmers who have relatives working in good companies and government sectors, should be disqualified from beneficiary list and only marginal farmers should be included. "It is for the government and farmers to decide what they want," he added.On fluctuation in market prices for produce, Habib said the need of the hour was to empower the Farmers Produce Committee (FPC) and exempt it from Agriculture Land Ceiling Act, so that the company (by the farmers) can produce on large tracts of farms and can present a strong marketing. "If the government makes such a move the amount required to clear debts of genuine farmers would come down only to Rs 10,000 crore from expected Rs 30,000 crore.

NASHIK: Member of state coordination committee of Kisanputra Andolan Amar Habib on Thursday suggested the state government to identify farmers, who are genuinely in distress, and help them."A farmer ekes out a living from his farm produce. He does not have other source of revenue and neither is he a government servant. If the government identifies those farmers who are solely dependent on farm produce, the numbers of farmers will come down drastically and the government will be in position to help such farmers," suggested Habib, who was in Nashik to address a gathering during the Dr Narendra Dabholkar memorial lecture.Habib claimed that loan waiver agitations were politically motivated and politicians rake up the issue to swell their vote bank. Alleging that politicians do not have any interest in strengthening genuine farmers, he said poor farmers are no one's vote bank."The rich farmers, having other interests, are active in politics. There is a political understanding between politicians and they are defending their vote bank," Habib pointed out.On providing monetary help to farmers, Habib said that farmers, who pay Income Tax, or farmers who have relatives working in good companies and government sectors, should be disqualified from beneficiary list and only marginal farmers should be included."If the government makes such a move the amount required to clear debts of genuine farmers would come down only to Rs 10,000 crore from expected Rs 30,000 crore. The same amount can be used to empower the farmer again, by providing him capital," he said.On current situation of the farmers in Nashik, where they are opposing 'Nagpur-Mumbai Communication Superhighway Samruddhi', Habib - whose major demand is scrapping of the Land Acquisition Act - said farmers and the government should come together and decide on what they want and what they can afford. "It is for the government and farmers to decide what they want," he added.On fluctuation in market prices for produce, Habib said the need of the hour was to empower the Farmers Produce Committee (FPC) and exempt it from Agriculture Land Ceiling Act, so that the company (by the farmers) can produce on large tracts of farms and can present a strong marketing."If the FPCs are formed with large numbers of farmers, they will be in a position to decide what crop they want to take, set the price they want and look for a trader they like to trade with," Habib said.

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