Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Devendra Fadnavis on Monday demanded action against the Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation Limited for allegedly selling substandard seeds to farmers at high prices.
The Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation Limited, or mostly known as ‘MAHABEEJ’, has been selling substandard seeds at higher prices to the farmers, Fadnavis wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanding action.
In his letter, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said that as the monsoon is arriving the process of sowing Kharif crops has begun in the state but the farmers are not able to access seeds and fertilisers easily.
“The Maharashtra government had assured that it will provide easy access to seeds and fertilisers to farmers,” Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Maharashtra legislative assembly said while adding that the ground reality is different.
The farmers are being forced to buy seeds at higher prices and those who had already sown the seeds realised later that the seeds are substandard, he added.
“The farmers who had already bought seeds and sow them will have to buy both seeds and fertilisers again,” Fadnavis asserted.
The senior BJP leader alleged that the farmers were sold a bag of soyabean for ₹2,300 which is actually priced at ₹1,700 with government subsidy. Fadnavis alleged that MAHABEEJ didn’t provide government subsidy to the farmers.
“The farmers after buying and sowing realised that the seeds did not germinate and are substandard. The companies which have supplied the seeds should be punished,” he demanded.
Fadnavis also raised the issue of heavy electricity bills which people have been receiving for the last three months. People have raised complaints of hike in their electricity bills.
Meanwhile, the BJP is set to launch another agitation across the state to press the demands of farmers against the Uddhav Thackeray government. The Maharashtra BJP has organised the protest - “Karj mafi kara, peak (crop) Karj deya” - to highlight the “failure” of Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to provide loan waiver and fresh crop loan to farmers.
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