Nagpur: Bhandara-Gondia MP Prashant Padole, along with farmers and Congress workers, staged a 'jal samadhi' protest in the Wainganga river at Kardha village in Bhandara district of Maharashtra on Friday. The protesters stood in water for several hours, highlighting previous pending agricultural and rehabilitation demands.
Key Demands of the Protest
The agitation underscored growing distress among farmers over delayed paddy procurement, unpaid crop insurance claims, and suspended agricultural electricity connections in eastern Maharashtra. Padole joined the protesters by standing neck-deep in the river for hours during the day before returning to the protest site again at night. The MP accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of ignoring legitimate concerns raised by farmers and project-affected families.
"Farmers and citizens have been standing in water for hours, yet the government has taken no concrete decision. The demands of the people are being continuously ignored," Padole said.
Specific Demands
- Immediate increase in the paddy procurement limit
- Speedy completion of the pending paddy procurement process
- Direct transfer of crop insurance compensation into farmers' bank accounts
- Immediate payment of paddy bonuses and pending dues
- Restoration of disconnected agricultural power supply
- Ending long-hour load-shedding in rural areas
- Opening of procurement centres for maize growers
- Approval of forest rights pattas for eligible beneficiaries
Rehabilitation Concerns
The agitation also focused on rehabilitation issues linked to irrigation and infrastructure projects in the region. Protesters demanded 100% rehabilitation of project-affected persons before implementation of new projects and sought the return of acquired farmland where possible.
No untoward incident was reported during the agitation, though protesters warned of intensifying the movement if the government failed to respond to their demands.
