NILJI (KOLHAPUR): Farmers of Nilji in Gadhinglaj taluk, of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra, envy their neighbours. Living just a kilometre away from the nearest Karnataka border, many farmers in this region are peeved about the relative prosperity in villages on the other side.
Many farmers, who have close ties with farmers in Karnataka, demand from their state leaders similar facilities. Though, there are the few loyal others, who insist that the Maharastra government will not fail them.
Raygoud Patil, a resident, says they feel cheated when farmers on the Karnataka side get agricultural loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at 0% interest and free power supply for smaller pump sets. "We want to move there... Even for small pumps, we have to pay a couple of hundred rupees as power supply fee," he says.
The largely Kannada-speaking population grow mostly sugarcane and maize, and source water from the Hiranyakeshi river.
Lagmane, another resident, says how children have to stand in queues for bus passes every month, while children in Karnataka get passes that last a year. "Our children are put through a tedious exercise," he said.
Satish Kalapgoul, an agricultural labourer, feels that the government should give grains to everybody, "Like in Karnataka". "Here, it is selective. Families, who are in service (any government job), don't get rations," he said. Villagers there also get 20-litre mineral water for Rs 5, whereas there is no such amenity here, he adds.
Comparing welfare
The nearest town to Nilgi village, which has around 350-400 houses, is Sankeshwar in Karnataka — located about 6 km away. The taluk centre for Nilgi village, Gadhinglaj, is about 10 km away, making Sankeshwar the town that that farmers from here frequent often.
K M Patil, who had led a campaign for Maharashtrian farmers, says, "We travel to Karnataka daily and hear about facilities farmers there get. The government even provides tractors and other machinery at lower rents. District cooperative banks in Karnataka give loans at 3% interest, while its 10-12% just a few km away in Maharastra."
The list of comparisons is long. "Maharastra is a large state and generates the maximum revenue for the country. When a smaller state like Karnataka can do it, why can't Maharastra," he asks.
Patil says, "A few months ago, we petitioned the state to extend us the same facilities or assign the village to Karnataka".
Not everybody is unhappy. Vignesh, a farmer from the village, is confident that his state government will extend the same facilities or even better ones in the coming days. "These people have reacted as if we have nothing here," he says.
Mahantesh, seated next to him, counters, "What about loan waivers? Karnataka waived all loans taken from cooperative banks". Vignesh replies, "Our loans too were waived." To which Mahantesh says, "But, only for a few people with a lot of pre-conditions". Vignesh does not relent: "Our government is still better".
When contacted, representatives in the gram panchayat say that the petition submitted by the villagers was forwarded to the authorities concerned. Following this, district officials visited the village and have assured resolution of grievances of the villagers, the representatives add.