Ajit Karn
State ministers Dada Bhuse and Atul Save met with a group of protesting farmers on Wednesday during the ongoing farmer’s march, led by the All India Kisan Sabha and the Communist Party of India.Dada Bhuse told media on Wednesday that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will meet protesting farmers at 3 pm in Mantralaya on Thursday.
Farmers are marching from Nashik to Mumbai to urge government action.
“We discussed 14 topics they raised. We accepted most of their demands. We had in-depth talks. We invited CPI and angry farmers to meet CM and Dy CM at Mantralaya. He said they agreed to meet the chief minister and deputy CM at 3pm in Mantralaya tomorrow.
After meeting the farmers, state minister Atul Save said 40–50% of issues were settled.
All farmer concerns were discussed. He said 40–50% of their issues have been resolved and the rest will be handled after meeting the CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis tomorrow.
The farmers began protesting at Azad Maidan on March 14 after arriving in Bombay.
Due to the big protest, security was increased to control traffic in two lines and avoid commuter delays.
“Considering the scale of protest, we deployed ample policemen for emergency law enforcement. DCP Kiran Kumar Chavan said, “As the foot march is from Nashik to Mumbai, we have deployed forces to manage traffic in two lines and avoid commuter inconvenience.”
“We started this march to draw government notice to our problems. “We have 14-15 demands and will debate them with the government,” a protesting farmer told media.
Another farmer requested a fair onion price, loan waiver, energy bill waiver, and 12-hour power supply.
Another farmer demanded government insurance firms compensate them for unseasonal rains and other natural disasters.
On Tuesday, Maharashtra’s opposition parties protested on Vidhan Bhawan’s steps to demand Abdul Sattar’s resignation over his comments on farmers.
Sattar’s Sunday comment on state farmer deaths caused controversy.
Rival leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) protested and demanded Sattar’s resignation after he said farmers killing themselves was nothing new.
On February 28, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs arrived at the Vidhan Sabha with onions on their heads and onion garlands to oppose a drop in wholesale onion prices.
Farmers halted auctions at Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee in Nashik on February 27 due to low wholesale onion prices (APMC).
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The Maharashtra State Onion Growers’ Union then protested the government.
