Congress leader seeks Rs 50 lakh aid, job for wildlife attack victims' kin
Mahendra Brahmanwade raised farmers' demands from Gadchiroli, Chimur and Brahmapuri, led by higher compensation for wildlife attack deaths.
A press conference was held in Chandrapur in the presence of Congress leader Mahendra Brahmanwade, drawing government attention to the problems of farmers in Gadchiroli district as well as the Chimur and Brahmapuri assembly constituencies. Brahmanwade said farmers across this entire region depend heavily on agriculture, yet face major difficulties over irrigation, transporting their produce, fair markets and access to government schemes.
He said basic demands relating to fair prices for farm produce, paddy procurement, health facilities, compensation for losses, land-related issues and village roads have been pending for years, pushing farmers into economic distress.
The biggest demand at the press conference concerned wildlife attacks. Brahmanwade made a concrete demand that the financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh currently given to families of those killed in wild animal attacks be raised to Rs 50 lakh. He also demanded that a qualified member of the victim's family be given a government job immediately.
He also issued a warning over the Samruddhi Mahamarg. He said the final route for this proposed highway through the Gadchiroli, Brahmapuri and Bhandara areas should be decided only after direct talks with local farmers, and that land should not be acquired without taking farmers into confidence.
On the issue of employment, he said that despite MIDC land being available here, not a single major industry has come up in the last 15 years, forcing local youths to struggle to find work. He demanded that new industries be brought in to provide jobs to the unemployed.
He also demanded strict action against the illegal sale of fake tobacco, gutkha and other banned substances, so as to check serious diseases like cancer. Brahmanwade said the Congress party would keep taking to the streets to raise its voice until farmers' pending demands are met.
The press conference was attended by Yuvak Congress Chandrapur district president Shantanu Dhote, Nagbhid taluka Congress committee president Pramod Chaudhary, Chimur Yuvak Congress assembly president Prashant Davle, former district general secretary Rohan Nannaware, working president Sajit Karekar, assembly general secretary Kundan Padwekar, Gadchiroli taluka Congress president Vasant Raut, district vice-president Anil Kothare, OBC district working president Diwakar Nisar, and Savli Agricultural Produce Market Committee chairman Pramod Dajgaye.
Also present were several senior Congress office-bearers and a large number of workers, including Vipul Yeltiwar, Amar Navghade, Yuvraj Ghotekar, Chetan Khobragade, Rajendranath Meshram, Harish Munde, Hitesh Thakre, Pawan Navghade, Sameer Kulmethe, Shubham Kulmethe, Deepak Thakre, Sachin Watgure, Bhagwan Dakare, Krishna Kohpare, Ramaji Hulke and Rajesh Bhonde.
