Maharashtra farmers call off agitation day after CM held discussion with delegation

 The foot march has been called off as the government gave them assurance over their demands.

              Maharashtra farmers call off agitation day after CM held discussion with delegation

Maharashtra farmers, who were on long foot march and heading from Nashik to Mumbai in order to draw the state government's attention towards a slew of demands, have called off their agitation today. According to farmer leader Jiva Pandu Gavit, as quoted by news agency ANI, the foot march has been called off as the government gave them assurance over their demands.

“Farmers have decided to end their agitation and have cancelled their March towards Mumbai. Protesting farmers have started to return from Shahpur to their respective places. We have decided it after govt's assurance to us,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. Gavit is a Communist Party of India (CPI) leader and has been spearheading the march.

Thane collector Ashok Shingare said all those who participated in the morcha have left and gone back to their homes in Nashik. "We had arranged a special train and some trains were given additional halts at Vasind from where they left. Now there is no one at site," he said.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde has earlier told the state assembly that he had discussions with farmers' delegation following which, farmers decided to return.

"We feared that the government will just give assurances, and not act on them. However, now that they have started taking appropriate action, we have decided to withdraw our agitation. All the farmers are returning home," Gavit said as quoted by NDTV.

Farmers have placed a 17-point charter demand including minimum support price for onions, speedy compensation for crop losses due to the unseasonal rains, forest rights, electricity bill waiver and appropriate price for agricultural produce.

CM Shinde said he had the discussion with the delegation on 14 points which included forest rights, encroachment of forest land, transfer of land belonging to temple trusts and grazing grounds to cultivators for farming.