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.

Groom Walks All Night To Reach Bride's Home Due To Drivers' Strike In Odisha

The marriage was solemnised on Friday morning. But the groom and his family members stayed at the bride's house, waiting for the drivers' association to withdraw the strike.

They walked all night on Thursday. (Representational)

Bhubaneswar: A groom and his family members had to walk 28 kilometres to reach the bride's village in Odisha's Rayagada district for the wedding, as they could not arrange a vehicle due to the drivers' strike.

They walked all night on Thursday from Sunakhandi panchayat under Kalyansinghpur block to reach Dibalapadu village where they tied the knot on Friday.

A video showing the groom and his family members including a few women walking at night went viral on social media.

"No transport was available due to the drivers' strike. We walked all night to reach the village. We had no other option," one of the family members of groom said.

The marriage was solemnised on Friday morning. But the groom and his family members stayed at the bride's house, waiting for the drivers' association to withdraw the strike so that they can return home.

The Driver Ekta Mahasangh has launched an indefinite strike across the state from Wednesday demanding social welfare measures like insurance, pension, formation of a welfare board and others.

The strike by the drivers of commercial vehicles in Odisha was on Friday put on hold for 90 days following an assurance by the state government that all their demands would be fulfilled.

The announcement by the Drivers' Ekta Mahasangh came barely a few hours after Chief Secretary P K Jena and DGP S K Bansak appealed to the striking drivers to withdraw the stir.

The strike by over two lakh drivers has hit the normal life for which people including office goers and tourists remained standard at different places. This has also resulted in price rise of essential commodities.

E Palaniswami Files Nomination For AIADMK General Secretary, OPS Bristles

EPS, as Mr Palaniswami is addressed, filed his nomination at the party headquarters, nearly a month after the Supreme Court greenflagged his continuance as the AIADMK interim chief.

Chennai: AIADMK interim chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Saturday filed nomination for election to the party's powerful General Secretary post, setting the ball rolling for his ultimate elevation, as rival leader O Panneerselvan slammed the "pickpocket-like" approach of the EPS camp in holding the polls, alleging due party process was not followed.

EPS, as Mr Palaniswami is addressed, filed his nomination at the party headquarters, nearly a month after the Supreme Court greenflagged his continuance as the AIADMK interim chief, dealing a blow to Mr Pannerselvam (OPS) in his running feud with his rival over the leadership issue.

The OPS camp decried the election process and senior party leader Panruti S Ramachandran said they will move the court over the issue, even as Mr Panneerselvam indicated he will meet the people on the matter. A large conference will be held in Tiruchirappalli early April as part of the next course of action, he added.

Within hours of Mr Palaniswami filing the nomination, Mr Panneerselvam addressed a press conference, alleging the election process was not in conformity with party laws.

The organisational polls have to be held once in five years and the highest office is elected by primary members. Only the elected General Secretary can later conduct organisational polls and appoint functionaries. Further, membership forms have to be given during this period to include new members and renew membership for existing ones, following which identity cards have to be given for both, he said.

"The election to the top post will be held only after completion of these processes. There is no due process and they want to hold the election for the general secretary post like a pickpocket doing away (with one's purse)..is this acceptable," he asked.

The Palaniswami-led AIADMK had earlier announced the schedule for the election for the General Secretary post, announcing the election will be held on March 23.

Mr Palaniswami's election is expected to be unanimous as the party has been rallying behind him, as manifested in the July 11, 2022 General Council where OPS and some of his aides were expelled. The GC resolutions have been challenged in the Madras High Court by OPS' camp.

OPS also took on his rival over his leadership abilities, pointing out the various electoral losses since the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, including the recent Erode (East) byelection where the DMK-led ruling coalition candidate, EVKS Elangovan of the Congress trumped Mr Palaniswami's pick K S Thennarasu by more than 66,000 votes.