Mumbai, Oct 27 (PTI) The Kisan Sabha has suspended its vehicle march from Akole to Mumbai after its representatives met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and received assurances on several of its demands regarding farmers, the organisation said on Tuesday.
The march, which began on October 26, was halted at Shahapur in Thane district.
A follow-up meeting will be held on November 4 to review the implementation of the assurances, the Sabha said.
The government assured assistance to drought-hit farmers beyond the norms prescribed by the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the release of two pending instalments of the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi scheme, it said.
Fadnavis said the demand to increase the Rs 50,000 incentive for farmers who regularly repay their loans would be discussed with the loan waiver subcommittee, the organisation said.
The government also promised to form a study group, including Kisan Sabha representatives, on the procurement of ‘bal hirda’ (baheda fruit).
The demands for providing Bhandardara dam water to tribals and scrapping the eco-sensitive zone were also discussed.
On women’s welfare, the government assured a positive decision on reinstating 81 lakh beneficiaries of the Ladki Bahin scheme who had been excluded due to incomplete KYC.
Women whose KYC has been completed but who are still not receiving the benefit will have their payments resumed immediately, Fadnavis assured, according to the statement.
The government also assured implementation of the approved monthly honorarium hike of Rs 1,000 for school nutrition scheme workers and said it would consider a further increase.
Other assurances included restarting the Mediclaim scheme for construction workers and taking a decision on resuming scholarships for students from Classes 1 to 10.
Those present at the meeting included Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, and ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Girish Mahajan and Dattatraya Bharne, besides other ministers, departmental secretaries and police officers.
The Kisan Sabha delegation included Dr Ashok Dhawale, J P Gavit, MLA Vinod Nikole, Dr Ajit Nawale, Yashwant Zade, Umesh Deshmukh and several other representatives.
The chief minister also told the delegation that the government had decided to waive loans of distressed lift irrigation schemes.
The government would also consider a medical reimbursement scheme for construction workers, while the nature of individual benefits for them would be determined in accordance with the Centre’s new labour laws, he said.
On land-related demands, Revenue Minister Bawankule said the government was collecting information to register farmers’ names in the 7/12 land records of temple lands. Kisan Sabha representatives would be included as special invitees in the committee drafting the proposed legislation, he said.
The government would approach the Supreme Court again on the issue of farmers cultivating grazing lands after determining the eligibility cut-off period, Bawankule said. PTI MR KRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.