Farmer leaders to meet CM

Mumbai: In a late-night development, farmers’ representatives have agreed to attend a meeting to be convened by chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday

Mumbai: In a late-night development, farmers’ representatives have agreed to attend a meeting to be convened by chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday.

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Thousands of farmers, who started a long march from Dindori in Nashik towards Mumbai, had refused to attend a meeting called by the state government on Wednesday.

Following the development, a delegation consisting cooperative minister Atul Save and mining and ports minister Dada Bhuse met farmer leaders led by former MLA J P Gavit of Communist Party of India (Marxist) at Khardi near Kasara.

Bhuse said that the farmer leaders have agreed to attend a meeting to be chaired by the chief minister on Thursday. “We discussed the 14 demands put up by the representatives of farmers. We have agreed upon most of them. We discussed the demands in detail and requested them to attend the meeting called by the CM and deputy CM in Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday.”

All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader Ajit Nawale said, “We have decided to attend the meeting convened by the government.”

The meeting on Wednesday was to be convened by chief minister Eknath Shinde in the presence of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and other ministers from respective departments. However, the farmers’ leaders insisted that the government should join them in their march.

The farmers from tribal districts like Nashik, Palghar, Thane and other parts of the state have started a foot march from Dindori in Nashik on March 12 pressing 17 demands. Led by All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), the farmer wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist), various farmers organisations are participating in the march. This was the third march by the farmers between Nashik and Mumbai, a distance of 170 kms. The then Fadnavis government had assured to fulfil the demands after the first march in 2018. The one in 2019 was called off on the second day after assurance from the state government.

Before heading to Nashik, Bhuse, who is also the guardian minister of Nashik said, “Some of the 14 demands by the farmers have already been met. We have already announced the ex gratia for onions. The deputy CM has already announced that the government has taken due steps to ensure electricity supply to farmers during day time. We were positive about their demands and had planned a meeting for further discussion, but the farmer leaders refused to attend it. I already held a meeting with them on Sunday.” Save said that they will discuss the issue with the farmers and try to resolve them.

The farmers have been demanding ex gratia of ₹600 per quintal for late kharif onion, transfer of forest land to tribals, power supply to agricultural pumps for 12 hours, complete loan waiver, compensation to farmers for crop losses due to natural calamity, adequate compensation for land acquisition and re-launch of old pension scheme are some of the demands raised by them.

If the talks with the government failed, the march will continue and it is expected to reach Mumbai by Monday.