Fadnavis, Shinde assure onion growers that the government will help them

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured onion farmers of Maharashtra here on Tuesday that both the Fadanvis-led state government as well as the central government are fully committed towards supporting them to tide over the onion price crisis.

Speaking to media persons, Shinde said, “Onion purchasing centres have already been started by both the state and central governments. At present, onions are being purchased at Rs 15.80 per kilogram. The government is fully aware of the difficulties faced by onion growers. All necessary steps are being taken to protect their interests. We will never leave onion farmers helpless”.

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A “positive solution” can be expected after a meeting called by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah to examine problems faced by onion growers in Maharashtra, Shinde said.

Shinde’s statement came after a protest by onion growers became violent after a car and a few tyres were set on fire at the venue of the protest at Chandwad in Nashik district, on Tuesday.

A Maharashtra delegation led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will meet Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss possible relief measures as well as long-term solutions for onion growers, it has been officially announced.

The delegation is likely to include Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with senior ministers and bureaucrats from Maharashtra.

“We will hold a meeting with the central government tomorrow, and efforts will be made to find long-term solutions,” Fadnavis told media persons here on Tuesday.

“Some opposition leaders have started political agitations about the onion issue. These people whose eyes never fill u[ with tears even after cutting onions are now trying to shed tears. But I want to clearly say that the MahaYuti government is trying to work sensitively on the onion issue,” Fadnavis said.

Criticising the protests by onion farmers in Nashik district on Tuesday, Fadnavis called the agitation “mainly a photo opportunity for the opposition”.

Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena leader Ambadas Danve and Sharad Pawar-led NCP leader Rohit Pawar were detained by the police at Chandwad in Nashik district, after a protest by onion farmers in which they participated turned violent after a car and a few tyres were set on fire, at the protest venue.

Shinde criticised the role played by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition parties during the protest by onion growers.

“The opposition no longer has any strong public issues and so it is organising protests only to gain media attention. This is not a genuine fight for farmers’ welfare. It is merely a political stunt for publicity,” Deputy CM Shinde said.

Shinde spoke about the period when the Congress-led UPA government was in power at the centre, adding that onion prices had caused difficulties for both farmers as well as consumers during that time as well.

“Previous governments had failed to take any effective measures to support farmers but today, both the state government as well as the central government stand firmly with the farmers,” Shinde said.

Reiterating the government’s commitment, Shinde said, “Eevery possible effort is being made to ensure that onion farmers get justice. This government will never allow farmers to suffer losses and continue to take decisions in the interest of farmers.”