Mumbai, Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil on Saturday slammed the Maharashtra government, accusing it of citing a lack of funds for distressed farmers while pushing ahead with "unnecessary" projects despite the state's mounting debt burden.
Patil's remarks have come a day after several leaders, including those from the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), were detained by the police during a demonstration in Mumbai to press for demands of farmers from the Konkan region.
"There is a shortage of funds for several pending demands of farmers. But even though the state is under a mountain of debt, work on many unnecessary projects is being undertaken, despite there being no public demand for them. This is worrying," the former state minister said.
A protest march was held in Mumbai by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana's Raju Shetti, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, Mahadev Jankar of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Vinayak Raut and Arvind Sawant, along with office-bearers of other parties.
The march, organised to press for various farmers' demands, was stopped outside Mantralaya, the state secretariat, where the police detained several leaders.
Patil, in a statement, said that mango, cashew and onion growers were facing a double blow of unseasonal rain and market prices below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
"The condition of mango, cashew and onion farmers, who have been affected by unseasonal rain and lower-than-MSP prices, has become pitiable. In a country with an agrarian economy, farmers are struggling to secure fair prices for produce they cultivate through hard work. This is a matter of serious concern," he stated.
Patil's remarks have come a day after several leaders, including those from the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), were detained by the police during a demonstration in Mumbai to press for demands of farmers from the Konkan region.
"There is a shortage of funds for several pending demands of farmers. But even though the state is under a mountain of debt, work on many unnecessary projects is being undertaken, despite there being no public demand for them. This is worrying," the former state minister said.
A protest march was held in Mumbai by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana's Raju Shetti, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, Mahadev Jankar of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Vinayak Raut and Arvind Sawant, along with office-bearers of other parties.
The march, organised to press for various farmers' demands, was stopped outside Mantralaya, the state secretariat, where the police detained several leaders.
Patil, in a statement, said that mango, cashew and onion growers were facing a double blow of unseasonal rain and market prices below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
"The condition of mango, cashew and onion farmers, who have been affected by unseasonal rain and lower-than-MSP prices, has become pitiable. In a country with an agrarian economy, farmers are struggling to secure fair prices for produce they cultivate through hard work. This is a matter of serious concern," he stated.
