Vidarbha pros and cons

[_GrapeWine_]

One more! posted by me on Nov 22, 2009

Originally Posted by _GrapeWine_

The Next Urban Frontier: Twenty Cities To Watch

Click here for PDF.

Nagpur is termed as a Boomtown.
It ranks pretty high in many aspects. And it scores better than Pune and even Bangalore in most of the surveys!

Megacities
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata,
Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad,
Ahmedabad, Pune

Boomtowns
Surat, Kanpur, Jaipur, Lucknow,
Nagpur, Bhopal, Coimbatore

Niche cities
Faridabad, Amritsar, Ludhiana,
Chandigarh, Jalandhar

Household Income Growth: 2nd
1. Surat
2. Nagpur
3. Ahmedabad
4. Jaipur
5. Mumbai
6. Lucknow
7. Ludhiana
8. Bangalore
9. Amritsar
10. Delhi

Average Household Income: 7th
1. Chandigarh
2. Mumbai
3. Surat
4. Delhi
5. Chennai
6. Ahmedabad
7. Nagpur
8. Bangalore
9. Jaipur
10. Jalandhar

Spending Propensities: 9th
1. Bhopal
2. Jalandhar
3. Kanpur
4. Coimbatore
5. Faridabad
6. Amritsar
7. Kolkata
8. Pune
9. Nagpur
10. Jaipur

Life Insurance Penetration: 1st
1. Nagpur
2. Bangalore
3. Surat
4. Chandigarh
5. Pune
6. Kolkata
7. Jaipur
8. Jalandhar
9. Coimbatore
10. Delhi

Credit Card Penetration: 5th
1. Coimbatore
2. Jaipur
3. Chennai
4. Delhi
5. Nagpur
6. Mumbai
7. Bangalore
8. Surat
9. Ahmedabad
10. Pune

[_GrapeWine_]

Originally Posted by GJ10

Really is incredible to see the massive difference between Western Maharashtra and the rest of the state.

Re Marathwada being worse off than Vidharbha, its quite interesting how well the graphic correlates to the areas that were under the control of the Nizam. See Telangana thread for more of that "legacy".

Good point GJ10. I never thought of this correlation..

[_GrapeWine_]

From Hitavada

[_GrapeWine_]

Originally Posted by adam_india

Yes, that is wrong and not fair at all, but also has to do with cost. Consumers in Mumbai/Pune city pay higher charges. If this would be extended to the rest of Maharashtra, I think load shedding can be tackled now that electricity is 'traded' across India.

Originally Posted by chetan.thoke

>Higher electricity bill paid by pune people is a myth.Logically due to higher transmission losses the rates in pune should be high but I was in Nagpur for about 15 yrs and since last 5yrs I'm in pune,but I haven't found much difference in rates they are almost same rather in some parts of vidarbha they are higher counting the time spent in load shedding.

[adam_india]

I meant the rate per unit you have to pay as a household customer. This is what is mentioned in your electricity bill. Article is something else. You must be getting an electricity bill. Do let me know from that. Thanks.
The electricity that Pune gets to avoid loadshedding is from the captive units of the private companies around Pune which pump in the electricity back into the grid. These companies have to paid and the money is recovered from customers who pay higher charges to avoid load shedding. This was the system as far as I know from the papers here.

May be you could dig the info from here (I havent been able to go through it):
http://www.mahadiscom.in/tariff/Order_111_of_2009.pdf

Here's another old one:
http://www.punemirror.in/index.aspx?...xslt=&pageno=1

[_GrapeWine_]

Sharad Pawar deserves one more tight slap!

Just look at the statements!:

"the lop-sided approach of Governor sanctioning more funds for backlog removal has directly posed a threat to unity of Maharashtra"

- oh please, now that you have your own reason, separate us out! we also want that!

Source - Hitavada

[_GrapeWine_]

'Fulfill Yeshwantrao's promises to Vidarbha'

Source - TOI
TNN May 10, 2012, 05.42AM IST

NAGPUR: Former minister and senior Congress leader Ranjit Deshmukh has congratulated the state for oragnising grand celebrations for Yeshwantrao Chavan centenary. "Yeshwantrao was architect of modern Maharashtra. But while celebrating his centenary let us not forget that the promises he made while signing the Nagpur Pact on September 28, 1953, remain unfulfilled," said Deshmukh.

"At least now the government of Maharashtra should try to fulfill those assurances. That would be the honest way to pay tribute the leader," said Deshmukh in a press statement. "It was Chavan who led the Herculean effort in 1960 to create Maharashtra by merging Vidarbha on the basis of language. The Nagpur Pact had specifically mentioned that no injustice would ever be allowed to happen and Vidarbha would get more than other parts of the state because of its gesture to merge with Maharashtra." These promises have never been fulfilled.

"It was the support of all Vidarbha MLA led by Kannamwar that enabled Yeshwantrao to become first chief minister of the new state. Soon after that, Nagpur Pact was conveniently forgotten and injustice continues to be heaped on Vidarbha till this day," the two-term MPCC president said. Giving Nagpur second capital status, shifting 16 government offices from Pune to here were among the promises in the Pact.

[_GrapeWine_]

Sharad Pawar is the biggest reason why Vidarbha is suffering today. Vidarbha shouldn't have ever merged with Maharashtra.

Does anyone have more detailed information on Nagpur Pact 1953? Lets list it down here.

Sharad Pawar slammed for opposing governor's powers

Source - TOI
Ramu Bhagwat, TNN | May 13, 2012, 01.29AM IST

NAGPUR: A day after the Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar's remarks opposing the creation of statutory development boards Under Article 371(2) of Constitution appeared in the media, leaders cutting party lines in Vidarbha slammed him for it.

"The remarks show Pawar in his true colour. He has always opposed development of Vidarbha and along with other influential leaders of western Maharashtra has been responsible for diversion of funds meant for this region," BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis told TOI.

Pawar was quoted in media reports saying that creation of the development boards (some 25 years ago, when he was the state chief minister) was a wrong decision. This was because Art 371 (2) under which boards were set up, bestowed special powers to the governor of the state to allocate on top priority budgetary funds towards measures to remove the developmental backlog. He had also remarked that the then Union minister Shankarrao Chavan had tried his best to stall creation of the boards.

Fadnavis said: "Far from it, Shankarrao had in 2001 welcomed creation of the boards saying it would do good to backward regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada. He had also repented having opposed the move. I have strong suspicions that Pawar is now attacking governor Sankaranarayanan repeatedly because he is not allowing diversion of funds in the name of drought. In 2005 such a diversion was allowed by the then governor who was pliable to powerful leaders from there. Apparently, the current governor is not allowing that and is facing flak from Pawar."

City MP and AICC general secretary Vilas Muttemwar stressed that he deferred from Pawar's views on the matter. "In keeping with the spirit of Nagpur Pact, statutory development boards were created to address the perception of injustice towards Vidarbha which had to merge with Maharashtra in 1960 against the wishes of people of the region. In fact, Vidarbha continued to suffer as governors who succeeded PC Alexander in the 90s were not allowed to implement their special powers because of political pressure from leaders of western Maharashtra," said the Congress leader.

Expert member of the Vidarbha development board, Madhukar Kimmatkar strongly refuted Pawar's allegations that the governors were doing undue favours to the backward regions. "It's totally untrue. In fact, Vidarbha and Marathwada have serious grievance that funds allocated under his powers by the governor were wilfully diverted to the more developed western Maharashtra," said Kimmatkar.

"If Pawar is pained that irrigation facilities did not come up in Vidarbha despite all the funding, his party (NCP) which has been handling irrigation portfolio is to blame for the shoddy work," said the pro-Vidarbha leader. "I have studied the issue deeply for years and I have no doubt that Pawar's fears that Vidarbha and Marathwada are being given more than their due are ill-founded. These backward regions have been victims of political neglect and need more support to come on par with western Maharashtra."

[_GrapeWine_]

Source - Wikipedia

NAGPUR PACT 1953

The Nagpur Pact was concluded between Indian political leaders in September 1953. It led to the creation of the state of Maharashtra from contiguous Marathi-speaking areas of the then Bombay State, Madhya Pradesh State and Hyderabad state.[1]
The Government of India appointed the first State Reorganisation Committee under the chairmanship of Fazal Ali on 29 December 1953.

Leaders like M S Aney and Brijlal Biyani submitted a memorandum to the State Reorganisation Commission (SR) for a separate Vidarbha State. The SRC, after considering the memorandum and all other related aspects, favoured a separate "Vidarbha State" with Nagpur as capital. But even after the recommendation of SRC headed by Fazal Ali, Vidarbha was made part of bilingual Bombay State in 1956 and Nagpur city lost the capital status. Nagpur thus became the only city in independent India to lose state capital status, after being a capital of India's biggest state (by area) for more than 100 years. Tension began to flare in Nagpur. It was even asserted that Nagpur should be made capital of new state of Maharashtra.

Bharatratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had favoured the "one state - one language formula" and not the "one language - one state formula" for reorganisation of states. Thus one state should have one language but at the same time, there can be any number of separate states for one language. He had clearly favoured two or three small states for the Marathi speaking area, including Vidarbha State, instead of a single large Maharashtra. [2]

Leaders of Maharashtra met these fears half-way, by ensuring the maintenance of bench of High Court and a session of Legislature at Nagpur. The informal pact between political leaders before 1960 thus made Nagpur the second capital of Maharashtra. [3]

The Pact assured equitable development of all the regions of the proposed Marathi State. The most prominent clause of the Nagpur Pact required one session of the Maharashtra state assembly in Nagpur every year, with minimum six weeks' duration, to discuss exclusively points related to Vidarbha.

The signatory to the pact in 1953 were
Yashwantrao Chavan, then Minister in Morarji Desai ministry of Bombay State
Ramrao Krishnarao Patil, Gandhian, Ex ICS Officer and member of first Planning Commission. [4]

Before the formation of Maharashtra State, the nine member committee appointed by Congress Working Committee for the re-organisation of Bombay State recognised that strong sentiment existed among many people of Vidarbha for the formation of a separate state. But still it expressed its preference for the inclusion of Vidarbha in the new Bombay State. [5]
As a result of these changes, in 1962 general elections, Congress won only one assembly seat out of four from Nagpur, that with a narrow margin, and Nagpur parliamentary seat was won by M S Aney of Nag Vidarbha Andolan Samiti. [3]

[chetan.thoke]

[QUOTE=_GrapeWine_;91336732]Sharad Pawar is the biggest reason why Vidarbha is suffering today. Vidarbha shouldn't have ever merged with Maharashtra.

Sharad Pawar slammed for opposing governor's powers


Now,this is the BIG PROOF of what I was saying,wht GrapeWine and also all the people of vidarbha had a feeling about that development of vidarbha is hampered due to this ugly politics played by Western Maharashtra Politicians,and this is "straight from the Horse's mouth" Mr.Sharad Pawar is admitting this himself though unknowingly.

[_GrapeWine_]

Apathy, lethargy and corruption everywhere

Source - Hitavada

[_GrapeWine_]

Centre, state turn blind eye on drought-hit Vidarbha


Soruce - TOI
Ramu Bhagwat, TNN May 17, 2012, 02.00AM IST

NAGPUR: Of the 6200 villages facing drought-like situation in the state this year, 72% or 4490 are in Vidarbha.

Yet, neither the state government nor the Centre has deemed it necessary to extend relief measures like setting up fodder depots, cattle camps or special funds to provide drinking water to affected Vidarbha villages.

All the relief funds, as also the Rs 700 crore provided for it by the Union government, are being spent on drought-hit western Maharashtra only.

On Wednesday, the state cabinet announced some more relief measures for drought-hit parts of the state. It has decided to provide Rs 10 crore each to 15 talukas for measures to fight drought. Not even one of these is from Vidarbha.

Those that get these funds are Sangamner, Jat, Palus, Mann, Mangalveda, Parner, Bhoom, Purandar, Athapadi, Kavthe, Khanapurm Tasgaon and Sangole.

"I tried to raise the plight of Vidarbha villages and scarcity of drinking water and fodder, but mine was the lone voice and too feeble in the cabinet dominated by members representing western Maharashtra," said EGS minister Nitin Raut.

Anil Deshmukh, another cabinet minister said, "Aid is being given where the drought is severe."

Social justice minister Shivajirao Moghe, who is guardian minister of Nagpur where nearly 500 villages are reeling under severe scarcity of water and fodder, had a different take on the issue. He justified the action saying the situation in Vidarbha was relatively better than the areas for which the government announced special relief. "It's the acuteness of the crisis that decides relief measures," he said.

Not many are buying this. "Situation in Chandur Bazar and Achalpur in my constituency is far worse. I have written to the district collector about how fodder was unavailable. People are finding it difficult to feed the cattle and are preferring to sell them," said Bacchu Kadu, Achalpur MLA.

He said no fodder depot was opened in Amravati district where 1985 villages have reported yield below 50 paise (Annewari).

"The government has conveniently changed the criteria for relief measures. Instead of going by year-long rainfall records and ground situation, government has accepted yardsticks that suit only western Maharashtra villages. For instance, they are now only looking at levels of well water to provide aid," said Kadu.

"This stepmotherly treatment is shocking," said Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti president Kishor Tiwari.

"Even in past, Vidarbha villages never got timely drought relief. The NCP and its supremo Sharad Pawar are ensuring that only villages in their constituencies get aid," he alleged.

"Since several villages are drought-hit, they have effectively 'marketed' the drought and are cornering the relief money," he added.

[radioactive]

This is all about the politics. The leadership of Vidarbha MLAs is questionable here. Couple of portfolio keep them to stay away from fighting for the region. If all MLAs come forward and demand for the justice then definitely things can be improved but....
Instead of blaming for western Maharashtra leaders, i think we should change our psychology and first ask our MLAs about what they can do for us... It's really bad that we are only responsible for our backwardness.

[_GrapeWine_]

That's true. but don't you think the situation wouldn't have arisen had Vidarbha not merged into Maharashtra?

Had Vidarbha been independent state, we would have had answers and solutions to all these problems such as drought, farmer suicides, irrigation etc.

Then, we would have indeed asked our leaders to perform. They would not need to fight for the region. They would not need to come forward and demand for justice.

And this injustice was predicted at the time of merger itself. that's why there was so much of opposition. So the point is, as much as these today's leaders are responsible for backwardness, the merger itself is the biggest culprit.

[radioactive]

I am totally agree with you GrapeWine. THis is the past. But what should be done now to improve the situation...? Can we as a people do something for our next generation?

[murlee]

Truth vs Hype: Vidarbha - The Lie of the Land

[WorldVision]

Originally Posted by murlee

Truth vs Hype: Vidarbha - The Lie of the Land

Great documentary, an eye opener.

Dont know much on whos-who in the documentary, but noticed that it focuses on few politicians from Vidarbha who are accused by NDTV to be part of this power generation / irrigation water stealing scams which happened in last couple of years.

Good that such politicians are identified.

What about those who did this type of scam for last two decades in that region?

Or NDTV is part of this blunder as well?

[_GrapeWine_]

Originally Posted by murlee

Truth vs Hype: Vidarbha - The Lie of the Land

Really an eye opener.. but it just gave example of one politician. There are nearly 80 new power projects cleared in Vidarbha and not all are related to Nitin Gadkari obviously. Who else is building these projects? mostly private companies which might be proxies of some other big politicians..
and the farmers are so weak that their agitation doesn't have any impact.. we need to empower our farmers!

And lack of irrigation is not the only factor for agrarian crisis in Vidarbha. It is the wrong policy of both State and Central govt related to purchase of cotton that is taking its toll on farmers. Almost all farmers who committed suicide where majorly dependent on cotton.

[_GrapeWine_]

Three more Farmers Suicides in Vidarbha

Source

Three more Farmers Suicides in Vidarbha : Vidarbha farmers demand PM’s intervention in Agrarian Crisis

Nagpur -22nd may 2012

Debt trapped cotton farmers Tulsiramji Gandhi (65) from village sawala in Amaravati district committed suicide by hanging in his house in posh housing society of Dhamangoan Rly where prime minister of India visited in june 2006 and another cotton farmer tried to commit suicide in Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan meeting in last December 2011 , Tulsiramji Gandhi was known as one of progressive farmers but recent crop loss has put him debt more than 3 lakhs .

“we are shocked with this tragic death of Gandhi uncle in late sixties due on going agrarian crisis as he was facing crop failure since 2009 in his 25 acre land and accumulated debt made his life more venerable as there was no fund for cultivation even bankers are forcing farmers to back crop loan, he is not alone this is common scenario in west vidarbha as cotton prices have slashed sharply this year after the flip-flop of UPA Govt. on export policy” Prem Taori cotton traders informed to Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jandolan Samiti (VJAS) farmers rights group from dhamangoan soon after incidenance took place.

in addition to

1.Tulsiramji Gandhi (65) from village sawala in Amaravati

Two other killed themselves in last 48 hours v.i.z.

2.Nandu Rathode of village kana(mahagoan) in yavatmal district

3.Prakash Gore of dhamangoan(bade) in buldhana district

Taking toll to 334 in vidarbha in 2012 .

(farmer suicide Govt. figure of west vidarbha till 22th may 2012 )

DISTRICT WISE

YAVATMAL - 70

AMARAVATI - 70

AKOLA- 52

BULDHANA - 50

WASHIM- 32

WARDHA - 30



FARMERS SUICIDES IN 2012 MONTH WISE

JAN- 65

FEB. - 64

MARCH - 75

APRIL - 82

MAY (AS ON TODAY) - 18

====================



“The vidarbha agrarian crisis after June 2005 when Maharashtra Govt. gave permission to cultivate transgenic cotton crop grown known as Bt cotton developed by injecting a toxin from a soil bacterium called Bacillus Thuringiensis [Bt] into a cotton seed and now in Vidarbha, Maharashtra 90% of all cotton is Bt. Mr Sharad Pawar, Union agriculture minister, himself a great proponent of GE (genetically engineered) crops, told Parliament on Dec-ember 19, 2011: “Vidarbha produces about 1.2 quintals [cotton lint] per hectare on an average.” This is less than 20% of what conventional non-Bt farmers used to get in the late 1990s and early 2000. Vidarbha farmers are losing about Rs 2,000 crore per year, leading to increasing suicides by cotton farmers still UPA is not banning Bt.cotton cultivation in dry land region "Tiwari asked.

After much haranguing and heavy barrage of news reports highlighting water-scarcity in western Maharashtra, the Centre released Rs 700 crore relief aid earlier this month for several districts, considered to be a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) turf.The Centre’s move to aid western Maharashtra has sparked anger in the Vidarbha region which has been witnessing farmers suicides for the past several years due to wrong policies promoted by Govt.

“On Saturday, a newspaper owned by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s family reported that over 300 farmers have committed suicide in western Vidarbha’s six districts. It is not our statistics. The newspaper quoted government figures. Then why is it that no relief package is earmarked for this region that is much more shocking factor. We have sent a copy of the news report and the government figures to the prime minister requesting him to look into the matter immediately, and save the lives of farmers.”Tiwari added.

As per the government statistics, in the last six years, the number of farmer suicides is 8,520. According to newspaper reports which quote officials, 300 farmers have resorted to suicide from January to May 20 this year.

“Incidentally, this figure of 300 does not include the five districts of eastern Vidarbha,” tiwari said.

[radioactive]