Three Maha ministers meet marching farmers mid-way, accept all demands

Ahmednagar, April 27 (IANS) Three Maharashtra ministers rushed to meet the farmers -- on a long march in the district since Wednesday -- midway at Sangamner, and after discussions, agreed to accept all their demands, a top All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader said here on Thursday.AIKS president Ashok Dhavale said that the ministers have consented to all the demands of the marching farmers and now the issue of implementation will be finalised.The AIKS leaders met Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Tribal Minister Vijaykumar Gavit and Labour Minister Khade this afternoon at Sangamner and hammered out all the issues raised by the farmers.These include: vesting of forest lands in the names of the peasants and agricultural workers, remunerative prices for cotton, milk, soyabean, tur, gram and other agro-products.On Wednesday morning, around 15,000 farmers, braving the intense 40 degrees Celsius temperatures and a police ban notice, embarked on a 52-km long march from Akole to Loni - with plans for an indefinite sit-in protest outside Vikhe-Patil's office in Loni.Taking serious cognisance of the march, the state government bowed to the farmers' issues, after which the AIKS procession was called off on Thursday evening.
--IANS qn/pgh

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