The decision was announced at a rally addressed by state ministers along with farmers' leaders at Azad Maidan in Mumbai
The gruelling 200-km, six-day 'Long Kisan March' by over 35,000 farmers finally ended on a positive note, with the Maharashtra government agreeing to most of the farmers' demands on Monday evening. These include the right to forest land and waiver of loans. The decision was announced at a rally addressed by state ministers along with farmer leaders at Mumbai's Azad Maidan, where the peasants arrived at dawn on Monday. Later, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leaders announced that the agitation was withdrawn.
In what came as a major victory for farmers, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said "all demands" are being accepted. He was addressing farmers camping at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai in the presence of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury. He also extended his wishes and said: "After the government accepted our demands in writing and assured to implement them in a time-bound manner, I asked the farmers to go back to their homes."
"We held very cordial discussions and have conceded most of the demands of the tribals, labourers and farmers who took part in the march," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced here. Fadnavis had also said earlier that his government was "sensitive and positive" towards the demands of farmers and tribals, even before he met the farmers' delegation.
According to a Kisan Sabha leader, the main demands pertained to complete implementation of the loan waiver scheme announced last year, implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and compensation for victims of damage to cotton crops following bollworm infestation and the unseasonal rains and hailstorm.
On implementing the Forest Rights Act, Fadnavis said that all pending claims/appeals shall be cleared within six months. About the farm loans waiver, the government said it had already distributed funds to banks for 4.62 million farmers and loan waivers were disbursed to 3.55 million.
On the implementation of the M S Swaminathan Commission report, he said the government would pursue it with the centre.
Additionally, farmers who were not entitled to the loan waiver scheme of 2008 shall be brought under the ambit of the current Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Sanman Yojana, and farmers from 2001 onwards would now get the benefits.
Similar satisfactory outcome was reported for other demands including water projects, the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana, Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme, fixing of milk rates and pending issues with ration cards to enable farmers and poor get ration at fair price shops.
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