Kolhapur: Raju Shetti marches against MVA inaction on farmers’ benefits

PUNE Flood affected farmers took out a protest march in Kolhapur on Monday, under leadership of Raju Shetti, whose Swabhimani Paksha is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state

PUNE Flood affected farmers took out a protest march in Kolhapur on Monday, under leadership of Raju Shetti, whose Swabhimani Paksha is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state. The protest march was to demand a loan waiver to flood-affected farmers from Kolhapur district, along with waiving school fees of students from affected areas

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Shetti said if the demands made during the march are not met, he will resort to a “Jal Samadhi” at Narsinhawadi on September 1.

“When floods affected most of this part in 2019, the then government waived off loans. We want similar announcement now after recent floods. For the past one year, farmers are already affected by Covid and the natural calamity has only worsened the situation,” Shetti said.

Addressing the farmers at the district collectorate in Kolhapur, Shetti added, “We were patient for over a month, but government did not respond to our demands. Now we have given them another week to fulfil our demands, failing to which I will undertake Jal samadhi at Narsinhawadi.”

The government had announced financial assistance of ₹50,000 to farmers repaying loans regularly. Referring to the announcement, Shetti alleged that in the 18 months since the announcement, this specific assistance has not been given to farmers. “At least in this situation, help should immediately be given to farmers,” said Shetti, whose name is among 12 persons recommended to the governor the by Maharashtra cabinet for a post on the legislative council.

Large parts of Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli districts were badly hit by recent floods as heavy rains lashed western Maharashtra during July. There were incidents of landslides and well as crop damage on large scale during to the flooding.