Vidarbha farmers urge for debate on BJP President bailout plans

03 November, 2011

Vidarbha farmers are demanding that there should be a national debate on the claims of BJP President's bailout plans as this is part of a mega plan of making Vidarbha a 'Power-Liquor-Ethanol Hub'.

THE BJP President Nitin Gadkari’s announcement of providing employment to millions in a multiple crore bailout plan for debt ridden dying Vidarbha farmers - asking them to opt water for sensitive sugarcane cultivation replacing paddy and jawar in dry land area of Vidarbha has offended Vidarbha farmers, said advocacy Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) as these sugar factories are only producing ethanol, liquor and power.

This arrangement will only create problems of food security, public health and very big environmental disaster if BJP President’s bailout plans for Vidarbha Agrarian Crisis are implemented. Hence, a national debate and review is needed with ongoing flooding of power plants and liquor-ethanol factories

“Just before taking charge of BJP national president Nitin Gadkari in 2009 was brand ambassador of congress leading economic development project MIHAN- promising 1 million jobs in 2010 and 10 million 2020, which has been turned hoax today. Now, he is giving the same toll promises to dying Vidarbha farmers who are in agrarian distress and severe economic crisis mainly due to wrong policies of state of not providing market and procurement infrastructure to their traditional paddy crop. Asking them for sugarcane cultivation will create a very serious water crisis in the region and this is unplanned development of the region, and will spread farm suicide spiral in east Vidarbha hence we are asking for national debate on claims of BJP President bailout plans as this is part of a mega plan of making Vidarbha as a ‘Power-Liquor-Ethanol Hub’. All national parties are having partnership in this anti-farmer cartel,” said Kishore Tiwari of VJAS.