Ahmednagar: Congress state president Nana Patole and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat visited Puntamba today and met the agitating farmers. While discussing their demands, he blamed the central government for the plight of the farmers. He also lamented that Corona was causing problems. However, the farmers were not satisfied with this. He remained steadfast on the agitation. Today was the second day of the farmers’ agitation in Puntamba. It was also the second day of the Congress’ Navsankalp Shibir in Shirdi. Congress leaders have been coming for this for a long time. This afternoon Patole and Thorat came to Punatamba and met the farmers. Discussed the demands with them. Sarpanch Dr. Dhananjay Dhanwate and the villagers informed him of the demands.
Speaking on this, Patole said, ‘The issue of farmers is important to us. So we left the camp and came here. Resolutions are made on various demands of farmers. But the questions do not go away. So farmers commit suicide. Unemployment rises due to central government’s privatization policy. In the last few years, 2.5 crore jobs have been lost. There was a big agitation of farmers in Delhi against the three agricultural laws. At that time, the central government did not pay any attention to it. Instead, they called the farmers terrorists. I have left MP in the past on the issues of farmers’, Patole also reminded.
Thorat said, “Agitations are happening but it is our duty to talk to them. We have come here as farmers. The issues of farmers were discussed at the Congress National Camp. Similar discussions are going on here in Shirdi as well. We promised to give loan waiver to the farmers. Initially, a loan of Rs 2 lakh was waived. She wants to give it to others. But because of Corona, everything stopped. During the Corona period, the government purchased one million liters of milk from farmers. So the farmers got support. There is a need to study the price of milk like sugarcane. However, the ban on wheat and onion exports by the Center has increased the difficulties of the farmers, ‘said Thorat, pointing a finger at the Central Government. Meanwhile, farmer leader Pasha Patel also came to Pune today and supported the agitation. Fruits and vegetables were distributed free of cost at the protest site to draw attention to the declining prices of agricultural commodities.
