Farmers resort to road blockade stir; demand waiver of loans

Hundreds of farmers resorted to a road blockade agitation here today at Ambadi Naka on Bhiwandi Wada road and held up traffic for a couple of hours, demanding total waiver of farmer's loans.
The stir was lead by Kunbi Sena chief Vishwanath Patil and local leaders of other parties. Agitators carried Kunbi Sena flag and shouted slogans against the BJP-led Maharashtra government and the Land Acquisition Bill.
They demanded total waiver of all loans disbursed to farmers, a Rs 25,000 compensation per hectare to farmers if a second crop cannot be cultivated, a declaration of drought, as well as scrapping of the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled) Areas Act.

A memorandum listing their demands was given to Bhiwandi tehsildar Vaishali Lambate.
Addressing agitating farmers, Patil said that he had unsuccessfully resorted to all methods to resolve farmers issues after which he was forced to agitate to draw the attention of the state.
If the government, which waived off loans disbursed to industrialists, does not comply with farmers' demands, an agitation would be organised all across the state, Patil said.
Senior Congress leader Gurunath Tawre said that his party would always back the farmers' agitation.