Maha village resolves to boycott polls over pending issues

A village in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, which has witnessed a string of farmer suicides over years, has resolved to boycott upcoming Lok Sabha and state assembly polls unless various demands of locals, including compensation to agriculturists for low crop yield, are met by the government.

A resolution to this effect was adopted during a Gram Sabha meeting by residents of Wagda Izara village in Mahagaon tehsil on Republic Day.

The resolution copy has already been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a local leader said Sunday.

The main demands included direct credit of PM's Crop Insurance Scheme amount into bank accounts of farmers, and setting up fodder store rooms for cattle in view of drought, said farmer leader Manish Jadhav.

The villagers also demanded formation of a separate Vidarbha state comprising various districts in the east Maharashtra region.

"The gram sabha also proposed that farmers who have recorded lesser soybean and cotton crop yields due to scanty rainfall, be paid a compensation of Rs 50,000 per hectare," he said.

The meeting, held under village sarpanch Chhaya Khandare, also extended its support to the proposed stir of farmers to be launched from Punatamba village in western Maharashtra's Ahmadnagar district.

"We have been facing an acute drinking water crisis every year. We want it resolved permanently through the Centrally-sponsored water supply schemes," the Sarpanch said.

She also demanded a complete crop loan waiver and fresh credit for farmers.

The meeting was attended by a large number of villagers wherein it was resolved that the future polls will be boycotted if our demands are not met, Jadhav said.

The village, with population of around 1500, falls under Umarkhed (SC) assembly constituency, currently represented by the ruling BJP. It falls under Hingoli Lok Sabha constituency, represented by the Congress.