Mumbai, March 19 (IANS) Alarmed by the renewed spate of farmers' suicides - at least 32 since Sunday - Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Wednesday appealed to them not to end their lives.
The chief minister said in a statement that the government is well aware of the plight of the farmers affected by the recent unseasonal rains and severe hailstorms which hit 28 of the state's 35 districts.
"I assure all my farmer brethren that we stand solidly behind you. I request that please don't be carried away by emotions or helplessness. We are doing our best to help you," Chavan said.
He pointed out that since the model code of conduct is currently in force, the state government is in the process of disbursing aid and relief as per the standing instructions.
Directions have also been issued to the concerned agencies to rush relief.
Chavan also said he has met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other union ministers and sought aid of Rs.5,000 crore for the farmers.
"I also met the Election Commission officials and apprised them of the havoc wreaked in the state. The prime minister set up a high-level committee headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar with other ministers like Sushilkumar Shinde, P. Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and M.S. Ahluwalia, while a central team has completed its assessment of the damage," Chavan said.
Chavan's statement assumes significance in the wake of the recent threats by the farming community of Vidarbha to exercise the NOTA (None Of The Above) option during the elections if aid is not given before April 10.
In a related development, angry Vidarbha farmers plan to demand 10 percent representation in parliament and legislatures from BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi who will launch his 2014 election campaign from Wardha Thursday.
"There is so much depression that some have gone to the main village square and hanged themselves publicly... VJAS and other NGOs console and counsel them, but they feel there is nobody in the government or politicians to take up their cause," Kishore Tiwari, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti chief, told IANS.
Ayodhya rape case: Akhilesh adamant on the demand for DNA test, Awadhesh Prasad said- the accused should be given death penalty
Akhilesh Yadav is adamant on the demand for DNA tests in the Ayodhya rape case. At the same time, Faizabad (Ayodhya) MP Awadhesh Prasad also called the incident shameful and said that the accused
Since the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, 118 civilians have been killed so far, know how many Hindus
The Central Government told Parliament on Wednesday that there has been a decrease in the cases of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir in the last few years. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai
8 to 10% Growth is eminently achievable
Weather Update Today: It will rain in many states including Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar today, know the condition of your state
Monsoon rains are being seen in many states of the country. According to the forecast of the Meteorological Department (IMD), it may rain in many areas of the country including Uttarakhand, Uttar
Facebook's former data scientist Francis Haugen said - the company put more profit than safety
Former Facebook data scientist Francis Haugen has accused the social network of giving priority to profit over security. He said he believes strict government oversight can address issues ranging from
UP News: CM Yogi gave a gift of Rs 1200 to school students, 1. 91 crores will get the benefit
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday pressed the button and transferred Rs 1200 for shoe stocking, school uniform, sweater, school bag, pen, pencil, copy, rubber, and cutter for 1.91 crore
Virat-Gambhir Interview: 'We came together to end all the masala', there was a lot of fun and laughter in Virat Gambhir's conversation
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shared a video clip of a conversation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. In this video, Virat and Gambhir are seen interviewing each other.
Wheat Export: Western countries only suffer due to sanctions imposed on Russia: President Putin
Russia has said that the way Western countries have imposed illegal sanctions on Russia, due to them the supply of food is not being done. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on Western countries
Gujarat Election 2022: Kejriwal's party will get big success even after losing in Gujarat, know what will happen
Aam Aadmi Party is seen emerging rapidly in the politics of the country. After the victory in Delhi and Punjab, in the exit polls on Monday, the Aam Aadmi Party seems to be moving towards victory in
World Bank: World Bank reduced the global growth rate forecast for 2023, the weakest economic growth in three decades
The World Bank said in its annual report on Tuesday that it has reduced the global growth forecast for 2023 to 1.7 percent from the earlier three percent. The financial body also said that the global
