VIDARBHA: STEP MOTHERLY TREATMENT BY STATE & CENTRAL GOVERNMENTS

11 Districts: Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gondia, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Wardha, Washim, Yavatmal

BIGGEST THERMAL POWER STATION of the Nation: CSTPS – Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station.

GONDIA: Largest Rice Growing District, known as RICE CITY!

NAGPUR: better known as ORANGE CITY!

6 Districts Prone to Farmers’ Suicide: Amravati (President Pratibha Patil’s home district & she is not bothered at all); Akola; Buldhana; Wardha; Washim & Yavatmal!

When I started the ‘journey of destiny’ in March 2010, my dear friend Madan Patil’s farmer parents Shri & ShrimatiTukaram Raghoba Patil of Phopheri in Alibaug from the rich Konkan Region of Maharastra explained the ground problems of Indian farmers. The problems are in fact, global in nature and not just restricted to Vidarbha, Konakan belts or India at large... as I have been interacting with various leading activists from all across the globe and also friends from various countries, they all inform me about the problems of farmers listed below:

Dependent on Rain God & at the mercy of Nature (floods or drought situation)

No Proper Irrigation Infrastructure

Fertile Lands are being acquired in the name of Economic Growth

High Cost of Seeds, Fertilizers & Pesticides

High Labour Cost & Shortage of Farm Labourers

High Cost of Electricity & Diesel

Market Lobby & Govt Policies against Farmers’ Community

Output (Yield) is not equal to Inputs (Initial Investment)

No Source of Alternative Employment

Changing Lifestyle of Farmers Spoilt by MNCs & Financial Institutions

These problems are on the broader perspectives and there are multiple layers to each one of them along with other small-small problems that the selfless farmers’ community have been living since time immemorial. The six districts of Vidarbha (mentioned above) have seen a number of farmers succumbing to suicide due to various reasons. While everyone only talks about the number of farmers’ suicide in the region, I am really very sad to tell to the world that no one has really tried their level best or suggested remedies and solutions to save all those precious lives so far... instead the step motherly treatment being provided by various agencies of the society and the world are pushing the farmers to the edge, just like in France or Japan, where farmers’ community are heading towards extinction.

Given a choice, no one would dare to take their own lives because everyone loves to live. It is so easy and what has become mandatory for the journalists in Media to portray a farmers’ suicide as ‘the easy route’! Through this post, I wish to ask all those journalists to just cut a finger with a blade and show to the world how brave they are in reality! Why the real reasons of a farmer’s suicide is never highlighted to inform the whole world about why a poor man, who grows food for the nation while suffering poverty and miseries, has to give away his life and make his family suffer the rest of the life? Insensitivity of the modern day human beings have almost risen to the heights to such an extent that instead of finding solutions to the problems, the problems are further made more complicated so that it goes out of hand.

Like in Maths, every problem has a solution to solve, in life too, every problem can be solved if one is given or provided with a solution!

I am not shocked nowadays when I read in newspapers about how various irrigation projects have taken decades and are still incomplete because of nothing else but RED Tapism of the Government and of course, CORRUPTION in the Political System, Government Officials and everyone connected to the system... which never wants the farmers to be better off to serve the nation with their dedication, hard work and devotion to feed the nation!

As per a newspapers’ report today, the Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Praful Patel had recently held a meeting at his Ceejay House in Mumbai, where in the following officials were present and the reasons for incompletion of below mentioned Irrigation Projects in Two districts – Bhandara & Gondia are listed:

1. Sunil Tatkare – Water Resources Minister
2. Eknath Patel – Secretary
3. Modak – Secretary
4. Zhapke – Executive Director of Vidarbha Irrigation Corporations
5. RM Chavan – Superintending Engineer
6. HD Chande – Executive Engineer Medium Projects
7. Wakotkar – Executive Engineer Gosikhurd Rehabilitation Department
8. RM Joshi – Deputy Secretary Water Resources Department
9. And other Top Officials concerned

INCOMPLETE MINOR IRRIGATION PROJECTS in GONDIA & BHANDARA Districts:

BHIMAKASA PROJECT: Still pending despite approval of Centre’s MoEF because of Rs. 10 crore (billion) NPV required for alternate forestation. Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare approved the amount.

SALEHETI PROJECT in Bhandara: Funds not yet released for completion of the project.

SONUKUND PROJECT in Bhandara: Funds not yet released.

BAWANTHADI IRRIGATION PROJECT: Rehabilitation of 3 Tribal Villages affected as per New Rehabilitation Act not yet done.

GOSIKHURD IRRIGATION PROJECT: Resurvey of PAPs on the lines of AMBHADI PROJECT.

SUREWADA PROJECT: Removal of hurdles of Forest Act is still pending.

KATANGI PROJECT: No Funds.

KALPATHRI PROJECT: No Funds.

OWARA PROJECT: No Funds.

BEWARTOLA PROJECT: No Funds.

UMARZHARI PROJECT: No Funds.

SALANGOLA PROJECT: No Funds for Canal work.

UPASIA PROJECT: Waiting for Approval.

BANDARCHUVA PROJECT: Delayed due to Forest Act.

SAATBAHINI PROJECT: Delayed due to Forest Act.

As many as 15 Irrigation Projects in just two districts of Vidarbha have been mentioned above. There are more for you all to see the callous and corrupt approach of the government:

As per Irrigation Commission, 36 Irrigation Projects are pending for final approval:

One Project since 2004
10 Projects since 2005
4 Projects since 2006
6 Projects since 2007
8 Projects since 2008
6 Projects since 2009 &
1 since 2010 

As on date 54 Projects are pending for final approval with Revenue, Central Govt & State Govt!

13 Irrigation Projects in Vidarbha have been stalled. State Govt has failed to remove Irrigation Backlog of the region since the last 30 years. Irrigation canals connected with Wardha River are still under construction even after 24 years.

There is no water for irrigation for farmers because all the water is being diverted to Heavy Industries and Thermal Power Plants.

As per Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) 10 more Thermal Power Projects have obtained water allotment from Wardha River and 15 more are in the waiting list and in total near about 85 to 89 Private Thermal Power Projects are in the pipeline for Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan’s approval. He will clear the Thermal Power Projects but will not bother to do anything for the farmers. Even the crop loss (unseasonal heavy rainfall) AID of Rs. 1,088 crore (billion) declared in December 2010 has not been disbursed to Vidarbha farmers since the last NINE MONTHS! Imagine the interest of 1,088 billion for nine months??? In whose pocket will all the billions go while the farmers of Vidarbha will be pushed to the edge? Ever since Chavan has taken office, every third day he is seen in Vidarbha to attend various functions for a CM, who has more serious job on hand to complete.

Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan supports the New thermal Power Projects but for Irrigation Infrastructure, he declares 13 Member Committee to give reports after proper survey (this committee will never provide the real ground problems of the farmers and irrigation infrastructure will remain as it is... after all, in December 2010, he declared 1000 Crore AID for crop failures due to unseasonal rain last year... so far, no one knows what has happened to that 1000 crore. Has it travelled all the way to Swiss Bank or travelled to the 10 Janpath in Delhi. The Poor farmers as usual are once again sidelined while the rich corporate companies get Thums Up from CM...